▲ This file photo taken May 1, 2026, shows the central district of Myeongdong in Seoul. (Yonhap)

population mobility-tally

Population mobility falls to 52-year low in May amid housing supply decline

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans relocating to new regions fell 1.5 percent in May from a year earlier to the lowest level in 52 years, data showed Wednesday, amid a recent decline in housing supply.

Around 466,000 people changed residences in May, down 7,000 from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It marked the lowest figure for any May month since 415,000 tallied in 1974.

The population mobility rate -- which refers to the number of people relocating per 100 residents -- fell 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier to 10.8 percent.

The ministry attributed the decline to a decrease in the number of new homes on the market.

The number of completed housing units in March and April fell 41.5 percent from a year earlier, although the number of homes traded during the period rose 6.8 percent.

By region, Seoul posted a net outflow of 4,221 residents, while Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital, recorded a net inflow of 2,433 residents.

South Chungcheong Province and Incheon, west of Seoul, added 1,284 and 1,237 residents, respectively.

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