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

By 2026, over 20 percent of South Korea's population consisted of people aged 65 and older, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. At that time, there were 11.12 million senior citizens, making up 21.6 percent of the country's 51.6 million population. This statistic places South Korea in a category of "super-aged societies," with the proportion expected to rise further to 30 percent by 2036 and over 40 percent by 2050.

In addition, 6.5 million households were headed by senior citizens, accounting for 28.8 percent of all households in the nation. Among these households, 38 percent were single-person households, a trend that has been increasing since 2015. Projections suggest that households led by senior citizens could rise to account for 50.6 percent of the total households in the country by 2052.

As of 2024, the average remaining life expectancy for those aged 65 stood at 21.7 years, with men living an average of 19.5 years and women 23.7 years beyond this age. The net assets of households headed by senior citizens were also mentioned in the data, though the specific figures were not provided.