statistics korea: nearly half of south koreans will be 65 years old in about 50 years
2024-09-25
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xinhua news agency, beijing, september 24th. data released by the south korean national statistical office on the 23rd showed that by 2072, the number of people aged 65 and above in south korea is expected to account for nearly half of the total population, and the country's population aging rate will be more than twice the global average.
on november 16, 2020, the elderly interacted with the digital teaching robot "liku" at a senior welfare and cultural center in yangcheon district, seoul, south korea. photo by xinhua news agency reporter wang jingqiang
according to the korea times, the national statistical office of korea analyzed relevant data and made predictions on the population trends in korea and the world from 2022 to 2072. it is estimated that by 2072, the population of korea will drop to about 36 million, a decrease of 30.8% from the estimated population of 52 million this year; the proportion of the elderly aged 65 and above in the total population will increase from 19.2% this year to 47.7%. the median age of the korean population will increase from 46.1 years this year to 63.4 years.
on the other hand, the world population is expected to continue to increase, reaching 10.22 billion by 2072, of which 20.3% will be 65 years old and above. in contrast, statistics korea estimates that the global population this year will be 8.16 billion, of which 10.2% will be elderly.
people read in an open-air library at gwanghwamun square in seoul, south korea, on april 19. photo by xinhua news agency reporter yao qilin
"data shows that in 50 years, almost one in every two koreans will be elderly," said statistics korea, adding that by then, the proportion of elderly people in south korea's population will be more than twice the global average.
the data also predicts that by 2072, the proportion of south koreans under 14 years old will drop from 10.6% this year to 6.6%, and the government will continue to find ways to increase the birth rate. in addition, the proportion of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 is expected to drop from 70.2% this year to 45.8% in 2072. the south korean national statistical office said that the population crisis will lead to a heavier burden on young people.
in 2017, the proportion of people aged 65 and above in south korea exceeded 14% of the total population, marking the country's entry into an aging society. according to yonhap news agency, south korea is expected to enter a super-aged society in 2025, with the proportion of people aged 65 and above expected to increase to 20% by then. (qiao ying)
source: xinhua news agency client
