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South Korea's registered resident population declined for the sixth consecutive year, while the number of households continued to climb. Single-person households exceeded 10 million, accounting for 42.3% of the total, underscoring a distinct trend of simultaneous population decline and household fragmentation.

According to the "2026 Ministry of the Interior and Safety Statistical Yearbook" published by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 25th, the registered resident population stood at 51,117,378 at the end of last year, down by 99,843 from the previous year. The resident population peaked at 51,849,861 in 2019 and has since decreased for six straight years.

Birth registrations showed an upward trend. The number of birth registrations reached 258,242 last year, up 6.6% year-on-year to mark two consecutive years of growth. However, despite the rise in birth registrations, the resident population continued its downward trajectory.

In contrast to the population decline, the number of households steadily grew. The total number of households rose from 23,705,814 in 2022 to 23,914,851 in 2023, 24,118,928 in 2024, and 24,300,087 last year. Over the same period, single-person households expanded from 9,724,256 to 10,272,573, making up 42.3% of all households.

The increase in single-person households was particularly pronounced among the elderly. Single-person households aged 70 and older grew 26.1% in four years, rising from 1,759,790 in 2021 to 2,218,764 last year. Over the same period, senior protection zones designated to ensure pedestrian safety for the elderly in residential zones increased 68.8%, rising from 2,673 to 4,511 locations.

The foreign resident population also expanded. As of November 1, 2024, foreign residents totaled 2,583,626, up 5.0% from the previous year. This corresponds to 5.0% of the total population of 51,805,547 at the same point in time.

                                                                                                         Kim Nam-hyung