1 in 5 Koreans aged 65 and older in 2026: data

The Korea Times - Oct 1, 2026

People aged 65 and older took up over 20 percent of Korea's population this year amid rapid aging and the ultralow birthrate, data showed Thursday. The number of elderly people stood at 11.12 million in 2026, accounting for 21.6 percent of the country's 51.6 million population, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The proportion makes Korea a "super-aged society," and is to rise further to 30 percent in 2036 and over 40 percent in 2050, according to the ministry. The number of households headed by older adults came to 6.5 million, accounting for 28.8 percent of all households in the country. Of the 6.5 million households, 38 percent were single-person households, which has been increasing since 2015. Households led by seniors are forecast to rise further to account for 50.6 percent of the total households in the country in 2052. The remaining life expectancy for those aged 65 was estimated at 21.7 years on average as of 2024, with the figure for men coming to 19.5 years and 23.7 years for women. The net assets of households headed by seniors came to 493 million wo

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