Multicultural marriages in S. Korea edge down in 2025

In South Korea, the number of multicultural marriages decreased slightly in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Multicultural marriages accounted for 8.9 percent of all marriages in the country that year, representing a minor decline of 0.2 percent or 51 cases.

The majority of multicultural marriages involved foreign wives, making up 71.4 percent of these unions. Chinese wives were the most common, comprising 15.1 percent of multicultural marriages. Vietnamese wives followed at 25.3 percent, while Thai wives accounted for 9.2 percent. Foreign husbands were also prevalent, with 18.9 percent of multicultural marriages involving foreign husbands, led by those from the United States at 6.8 percent.

The average age at which individuals married for the first time was higher for husbands than for wives, with an average of 37.1 years for husbands and 29.7 years for wives. In 75.2 percent of multicultural marriages, the husband was older than his wife, with 36.1 percent of these unions featuring a husband who was at least 10 years older than his wife.