South Korea’s population over 65 years old accounts for 21.6%, officially entering a super-aged society
Quick Look
- According to statistics from the National Data Service of South Korea, the population over 65 years old accounts for 21.6% of the total population.
- It has officially entered a super-aged society, and the number of elderly families and elderly people living alone continues to increase.
- It is estimated that the population over 65 years old will exceed 40% in 2050.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The proportion of people over 65 years old in South Korea exceeded 20% of the total population last year, and statistics this year show that it has increased to 21.6%, officially entering a super-aged society.
Elders collecting recyclables on the streets of Seoul.
The latest statistics released by South Korea's National Data Service on the 1st show that South Korea's population over 65 years old is 11.125 million, accounting for 21.6% of the total population. Not only is the proportion of people over 65 years old rising, but the number of households headed by this age group is also increasing year by year. Currently, nearly 30% of households have heads of households over 65 years old, and 38% of them are "one-person households."
According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and JoongAng Ilbo, the proportion of people over 65 years old in South Korea exceeded 20% of the total population last year, at 20.3%, which means that South Korea has officially entered a super-aged society. Statistics this year show that this ratio has increased to 21.6%. According to future population data projections from the National Statistics Office, the proportion of people over 65 years old is expected to exceed 30% in 2036 and exceed 40% in 2050.
As the elderly population increases, the proportion of elderly households continues to rise. South Korea currently has 6.507 million households headed by seniors over 65 years old, accounting for 28.8% of the country's total households. Among these elderly households, 38% are single-person households, or "one-person households," and this ratio has continued to increase since 2015. It is estimated that the number of elderly households in South Korea will exceed 10 million by 2038, and will account for more than half of the total number of households in the country by 2052, expected to reach 50.6%.
As of 2024, the average life expectancy of people over 65 in South Korea will be 21.7 years, including 19.5 years for men and 23.7 years for women. Last year, the average net worth of elderly households was 493 million won, and in 2024, 91.2% of the population over 65 years old received the national pension.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The proportion of the population over 65 years old will exceed 30% in 2036
Likely · Within years
In 2050, the population over 65 years old will exceed 40%
Likely · Within years
Open Questions
- What specific countermeasures will the South Korean government take to deal with a super-aging society?
