South Korea Aging Population (Share Aged 65+)
South Korea's share of the population aged 65 and over was 21.2% in 2025, up 1.2 percentage points from 2024, a record high. By province, Sejong was lowest (12.3%) and South Jeolla highest (28.5%).
2000–2025
Data table
| Year | Aging Population (Share Aged 65+) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 21.2 |
| 2024 | 20.0 |
| 2023 | 19.0 |
| 2022 | 18.0 |
| 2021 | 17.1 |
| 2020 | 16.4 |
| 2019 | 15.5 |
| 2018 | 14.8 |
| 2017 | 14.2 |
| 2016 | 13.5 |
| 2015 | 13.1 |
| 2014 | 12.7 |
| 2013 | 12.2 |
| 2012 | 11.7 |
| 2011 | 11.2 |
| 2010 | 10.9 |
| 2009 | 10.6 |
| 2008 | 10.2 |
| 2007 | 9.9 |
| 2006 | 9.3 |
| 2005 | 8.9 |
| 2004 | 8.5 |
| 2003 | 8.1 |
| 2002 | 7.7 |
| 2001 | 7.4 |
| 2000 | 7.0 |
By province, 2025
Data table
| Province | Aging Population (Share Aged 65+) |
|---|---|
| South Jeolla | 28.5 |
| North Gyeongsang | 27.5 |
| Gangwon | 26.8 |
| Jeonbuk | 26.6 |
| Busan | 25.3 |
| South Chungcheong | 23.4 |
| South Gyeongsang | 23.2 |
| North Chungcheong | 23.1 |
| Daegu | 22.1 |
| Seoul | 20.4 |
| Jeju | 20.1 |
| Daejeon | 19.1 |
| Incheon | 18.8 |
| Gwangju | 18.8 |
| Ulsan | 18.6 |
| Gyeonggi | 17.7 |
| Sejong | 12.3 |
Context
This page shows the share of South Korea's population aged 65 and over, based on the government's resident registration records, which cover Korean citizens. By a widely used United Nations convention, a society is called "aging" when this share passes 7%, "aged" at 14% and "super-aged" at 20%.
South Korea crossed the 7% line in 2000, reached 14% in 2017 and hit 20.0% in 2024, becoming a super-aged society. Moving from aged to super-aged took just seven years — faster than Japan, long the world's benchmark for rapid aging.
The share keeps rising as the baby boomers born in the 1950s and 1960s turn 65 while births stay low. Aging is most advanced in rural provinces: in South Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, Gangwon and Jeonbuk, more than a quarter of residents are 65 or older. Sejong, a young planned city, is the exception.