Seoul: South Korea's total population experienced a slight increase in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of growth, primarily due to an influx of foreign residents, as revealed by government data. Despite the ongoing rapid aging of the country's population, the latest census data shows a positive trend in numbers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Statistics Korea reported that the nation's population reached 51.81 million as of November 1, reflecting a 0.1 percent increase, or 30,000 people, from the previous year. This growth follows two years of population decline, with the first-ever recorded decrease occurring in 2021 since statistical records began in 1949.

The total population figures take into account birth and death rates, as well as the movement of foreigners who reside in South Korea for more than three months. The recent population growth is attributed to a 5.6 percent rise in foreign residents, totaling 110,000 more people, bringing the foreign resident population to 2.04 million. This increase is largely due to extended working visa programs that attracted more individuals from overseas for employment and other purposes.

However, the number of South Korean nationals has continued to decline, dropping by 0.2 percent to 49.76 million in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of decrease. The working-age population, defined as those aged 15 to 64, decreased by 290,000 to 36.26 million, constituting 70 percent of the total population. This proportion has been steadily declining since 2018.

Additionally, the data highlights a rise in the elderly population, with the number of South Koreans aged 65 and older reaching 10.12 million in 2024, accounting for 19.5 percent of the total population, up from 18.6 percent the previous year. The senior index, indicating the number of individuals aged 65 and above per 100 people aged 14 and below, increased to 186.7, a rise of 15.7 from the previous year.

Furthermore, the number of single-member households saw a 2.8 percent increase, reaching 8.04 million, with their share of the total households hitting a record high of 36.1 percent.