김한주
| 2026-01-29 13:30:54
population mobility-2025 tally
Population mobility hits 51-yr low in 2025 on housing slump
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans moving to new residences within the country fell to a 51-year low in 2025, weighed down by sluggish housing transactions and demographic changes, government data showed Thursday.
About 6.12 million people changed residences last year, down 2.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Data. The figure marked the lowest level since 1974, when 5.29 million people relocated.
The ministry said population mobility has been declining over the long term due to low birth rates and rapid population aging, which have reduced the number of younger people who tend to move more frequently.
In the short term, mobility is also closely tied to housing market conditions, as the number of newly built apartment units declined in 2025 compared with a year earlier.
The population mobility rate -- the percentage of people relocating per 100 individuals -- reached 12 percent last year, down 0.3 percentage point from the previous year.
Seoul recorded a net outflow of about 27,000 people, while the southeastern city of Gwangju posted a net outflow of roughly 14,000.
The capital city has now experienced net population losses for 36 consecutive years.
The administrative city of Sejong, which had recorded net inflows every year since its launch in 2012, posted a net outflow of 47 people in 2025, marking the first such decline.
"Monthly data shows Sejong maintained net inflows through November, but the figure turned negative in December," said Yoo Su-seok, a ministry official, citing the relocation of the oceans ministry to the southeastern port city of Busan.
By contrast, Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, saw a net inflow of about 33,000 people, while the western port city of Incheon recorded a net inflow of roughly 32,000.
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