1 in 10 residents of Korea in their 20s, 30s have migrant backgrounds: data

Residents with migrant backgrounds in their 20s and 30s made up 10 percent and 9.5 percent of those age groups in Korea last year, government figures showed Monday. The population with migrant backgrounds grew by 95,000 to 2.81 million, more than offsetting a decline in Korean nationals without migrant backgrounds and lifting the total population by 12,000. The group accounted for 5.4 percent of Korea’s 51.82 million residents. Officials said younger arrivals include international students and workers in manufacturing and construction.

The Ministry of Data and Statistics compiled the figures from 27 types of administrative data held by 13 agencies.

The census counted people with migrant backgrounds who had lived in Korea for at least three months as of Nov. 1 last year.

Residents in their 30s were the largest age group among people with migrant backgrounds, at 667,000, or 23.7 percent; those in their 20s accounted for 21.6 percent.

The number of residents with migrant backgrounds in their 20s rose by 36,000, or 6.4 percent, the largest annual increase among age groups.

Working-age people aged 15 to 64 made up 81.9 percent of residents with migrant backgrounds, compared with 69.2 percent of the total population.

Published Oct 26, 2026 3:34 pm KST

Immigrants and their children drive country's modest population growth

International students hold up their names written in Hangeul during a Korean language quiz contest at Keimyung University in Daegu, Oct. 8, on the eve of Hangeul Day. Yonhap

Nearly one in 10 residents of Korea in their 20s and 30s comes from a migrant background as of last year, government figures showed Monday.

The overall population with migrant backgrounds grew by nearly 100,000, offsetting a decline in Korean nationals without such backgrounds and driving a modest increase in the country’s total population.

People with migrant backgrounds accounted for 10 percent of all residents in their 20s and 9.5 percent of those in their 30s, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ population statistics for 2025.

Migrant-background residents are defined as those who are migrants themselves or have at least one parent with a migrant background. The group encompasses foreign nationals and Korean citizens, including those who gained citizenship through naturalization or legal recognition of parentage, second-generation immigrants, North Korean defectors and their children.

The figures were compiled from 27 types of administrative data held by 13 agencies, including resident registration, foreign national registration and nationality acquisition records. The census covered people with migrant backgrounds who had resided in Korea for at least three months as of Nov. 1 last year.

Residents with migrant backgrounds had a younger age profile than the broader population.

Those in their 30s made up the largest share of the migrant-background population at 23.7 percent, or 667,000 people, followed by those in their 20s at 21.6 percent and their 40s at 15.6 percent. The biggest annual increase came among people in their 20s, whose numbers rose by 36,000, or 6.4 percent.

Working-age people, defined as those aged 15 to 64, represented 81.9 percent of residents with migrant backgrounds, exceeding the corresponding share of the total population, at 69.2 percent. Just 5.8 percent were aged 65 or older, well below the national figure of 20.7 percent. Children under 15 accounted for 12.2 percent.

Kyoung Eun-suk, director of the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ population census division, speaks during a media briefing at Government Complex Sejong, Monday. Yonhap

Kyoung Eun-suk, director of the ministry’s population census division, attributed the influx of younger people partly to regional efforts to foster industries and recruit international students.

“Many people in these age groups come to study or receive training,” she said. “Young people arriving on nonprofessional employment visas or through the employment permit system mainly work in manufacturing and construction. People with migrant backgrounds fill many jobs in these industries.”

Overall, the population with migrant backgrounds expanded year-on-year by 95,000, or 3.5 percent, to 2.81 million last year. It represented 5.4 percent of Korea’s 51.82 million residents, up 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier and equivalent to about one in 18.5 people.

Meanwhile, the number of Korean nationals who, along with both parents, held Korean citizenship from birth fell by 83,000, or 0.2 percent. The increase in residents with migrant backgrounds more than offset that decline, lifting the country’s total population by 12,000.

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韩国政府周一公布的数据显示，去年韩国20多岁和30多岁的移民背景居民分别占该年龄段人口的10%和9.5%。移民背景人口增加了9.5万人，达到281万人，不仅弥补了非移民背景韩国公民人口的减少，还使总人口增加了1.2万人。该群体占韩国5182万居民的5.4%。官员表示，这些年轻的移民包括国际留学生以及制造业和建筑业的工人。

数据统计部汇总了 13 个机构持有的 27 种行政数据。

人口普查统计了截至去年11月1日在韩国居住至少三个月的具有移民背景的人。

在有移民背景的人群中，30 多岁的居民人数最多，达 66.7 万人，占 23.7%；20 多岁的居民占 21.6%。

20 多岁有移民背景的居民人数增加了 36,000 人，增幅达 6.4%，是各年龄组中年度增幅最大的。

15 至 64 岁的工作年龄人口占移民背景居民的 81.9%，而移民背景居民占总人口的 69.2%。

发布于2026年10月26日下午3:34（韩国标准时间）

移民及其子女推动了该国人口的温和增长。

10月8日，在韩文日前夕，韩国大邱启明大学举办韩语知识竞赛，国际学生举着用韩文写成的名字参赛。（韩联社）

政府周一公布的数据显示，截至去年，韩国20多岁和30多岁的居民中，近十分之一的人有移民背景。

具有移民背景的人口总数增加了近 10 万人，抵消了没有此类背景的韩国国民的减少，并推动了该国总人口的小幅增长。

根据韩国数据统计部发布的2025年人口统计数据，移民背景人士占20多岁居民总数的10%，占30多岁居民总数的9.5%。

移民背景居民是指本身是移民或至少有一位父母具有移民背景的人。该群体包括外国公民和韩国公民，其中包括通过入籍或亲属关系合法认定获得公民身份的人、第二代移民、朝鲜脱北者及其子女。

这些数据来源于13个机构保存的27种行政数据，包括居民登记、外国人登记和国籍取得记录。普查对象为截至去年11月1日在韩国居住至少三个月的移民背景人士。

与整体人口相比，具有移民背景的居民年龄结构更年轻。

在具有移民背景的人口中，30多岁的人群占比最高，为23.7%，即66.7万人；其次是20多岁的人群，占比21.6%；40多岁的人群占比15.6%。年度增幅最大的是20多岁的人群，人数增加了3.6万人，增幅达6.4%。

劳动年龄人口（定义为15至64岁）占移民背景居民的81.9%，高于其在总人口中的相应比例（69.2%）。65岁及以上人口仅占5.8%，远低于全国20.7%的平均水平。15岁以下儿童占12.2%。

韩国数据统计部人口普查科科长京恩硕周一在世宗政府大楼举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话。（韩联社）

韩国文化部人口普查司司长京恩硕将年轻人涌入的部分原因归结于各地为扶持产业和招收国际学生所做的努力。

她说：“很多这个年龄段的人来这里学习或接受培训。持非专业工作签证或通过就业许可制度入境的年轻人主要从事制造业和建筑业。这些行业中有很多工作岗位都由有移民背景的人担任。”

总体而言，去年具有移民背景的人口同比增长9.5万人，增幅为3.5%，达到281万人。这占韩国5182万居民的5.4%，比上年增长0.2个百分点，相当于每18.5人中约有1人。

与此同时，父母双方均自出生起就拥有韩国国籍的韩国公民人数减少了8.3万人，降幅为0.2%。但移民背景居民人数的增加弥补了这一降幅，使该国总人口增加了1.2万人。

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