South Korea’s migrant population surpasses five percent

Last year, South Korea’s multicultural and foreign-born population surpassed 2.7 million for the first time, accounting for more than 5 percent of the total population. In practical terms, one out of every 20 people in the country is now a first- or second-generation immigrant or a foreign national.

According to the “2024 Statistics on the Migrant Background Population” released by the National Data Office on Dec. 8, the number of residents with migrant backgrounds reached 2.715 million as of November last year, up 134,000 from 2.581 million the previous year. Over the same period, their share of the population rose from 4.98 percent to 5.24 percent.

The migrant background population includes individuals who themselves, or whose parents, have a migration background. This category encompasses long-term foreign residents, naturalized South Koreans, and second-generation immigrants. About 81.9 percent of this group is between the ages of 15 and 64, providing a critical boost to the country’s aging labor market.

“Among the migrant background population, those in their 30s make up the largest share at 24.3 percent, followed by those in their 20s at 21.0 percent and those in their 40s at 15.4 percent," said Kim Seo-yeong, director of the Population Census Division at the Data Office. "By comparison, 70.0 percent of the total population is of working age and 19.5 percent is elderly, indicating a relatively young age structure among people with migrant backgrounds.”

Among the migrant background population, 2.043 million people, or 75.2 percent, were foreign nationals who had resided in Korea for more than three months. The number of long-term foreign residents increased by 5.6 percent from the previous year. The remaining 672,000 people, or 24.8 percent, were naturalized South Koreans or second-generation immigrants with at least one foreign-born parent. That group also grew by 4.1 percent from the previous year.


세종=김수현 기자 newsoo@donga.com