Seoul:The proportion of individuals with migrant backgrounds in South Korea increased to 5.4 percent in 2025, based on recent data. This marks a rise from the previous year, with the most significant growth observed among those in their 20s.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the total migrant population in 2025 was recorded at 2.81 million, up from 2.71 million the previous year. The overall population of South Korea stood at 51.82 million. The Ministry of Data and Statistics defines individuals with a migrant background as immigrants themselves or those with at least one parent from overseas, including foreign nationals, naturalized South Koreans, and second-generation immigrants.
Foreign nationals made up the majority of the migrant background population at 75.1 percent, while second-generation immigrants accounted for 14.1 percent. Additionally, 9.1 percent of this population acquired South Korean citizenship through naturalization or recognition of parentage. By gender, males constituted 52.5 percent, and females accounted for 47.5 percent, with a ratio of 110.7 males per 100 females.
The working-age population, defined as those aged 15 to 64, reached 2.3 million in 2025. Among different age groups, people in their 30s made up the largest portion at 23.7 percent, followed by those in their 20s at 21.6 percent, and individuals in their 40s at 15.6 percent. Notably, the number of people in their 20s increased by 36,000, the largest rise among all age groups.
The report also highlighted that 56 percent of people with migrant backgrounds resided in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, with 17.1 percent living in Seoul. South Chungcheong Province recorded the highest proportion of residents with a migrant background at 8.3 percent, followed by North Chungcheong and Gyeonggi Provinces at 6.5 percent each. In contrast, Daegu had the lowest proportion at 2.9 percent.
The number of individuals aged 24 and younger with a migrant background increased by 6.6 percent from the previous year to 790,000. By parental nationality, those with Vietnamese parents represented 28.1 percent of the population, followed by those with Chinese parents at 15.7 percent. Ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality formed a separate group at 11.4 percent. Other notable nationalities included Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Nepal.