In 2023, the net migration rate in South Korea amounted to around **** migrants per 1,000 people in the population. While this represents positive net migration, it is a low rate. While it is forecast to increase, it is estimated to only do so very slowly. Immigrants to South Korean face many barriers, from restrictive immigration policies to language barriers and social issues.

In 2024, approximately 958,959 Chinese (including those of Korean descent) resided in South Korea, the largest group of foreign nationals. This was followed by citizens from Vietnam, with around 305,936 people.

In 2024, the internal migration rate in South Korea stood at **** percent, a slight increase compared to the previous year. Accounting for a total of *** million people, this applied to around one in eight South Koreans. This continued an overall downward trend that started in 1988, when the rate of migration lay at **** percent. Prior to 1988, recorded migration rates fluctuated more frequently.

Historical dataset showing South Korea immigration statistics by year from 1960 to 2015.

Korea Net Migration data was reported at 200,000.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 169,634.000 Person for 2012. Korea Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging 76,397.500 Person from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 200,000.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of -209,905.000 Person in 1972. Korea Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the total number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens. Data are five-year estimates.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

In 2024, Incheon recorded the highest rate of population net inflow among all cities in South Korea at *** percent. In contrast, Gwangju faced the most significant population net outflow, with a rate of about minus *** percent.

Korea International Migrant Stock: Total data was reported at 1,327,324.000 Person in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 919,275.000 Person for 2010. Korea International Migrant Stock: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 274,726.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,327,324.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 43,017.000 Person in 1990. Korea International Migrant Stock: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2012 Revision.; Sum;

Among people migrating to and from South Korea in 2023, people in the age group between 20 and 29 years comprised the largest group, with around *** thousand migrants. People in their thirties made up the second-largest age group, with about *** thousand migrants.

South Korea International Migration: National: Net Migration data was reported at -10,763.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -17,477.000 Person for Aug 2018. South Korea International Migration: National: Net Migration data is updated monthly, averaging -2,337.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 225 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,686.000 Person in Jan 2018 and a record low of -21,110.000 Person in Aug 2004. South Korea International Migration: National: Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G006: Migration: International.

This statistic shows the number of undocumented immigrants caught in South Korea in 2018, broken down by country of origin. In that year, more than *** thousand undocumented immigrants from Thailand and more than ** thousand immigrants from China were caught. In total, around *** thousand illegal immigrants were caught.

As South Korea faces unprecedented demographic decline, marked by the world’s lowest fertility rate and rapid population aging, immigration has begun to feature in local political discourse. This study analyzes over two decades of local council meeting records across administrative districts to examine whether demographic conditions influence rhetorical engagement with immigration, and whether such discourse exhibits ideological polarization. Using computational text analysis, the analysis finds that lower birth rates and population stagnation are associated with increased mentions of immigration, but not with greater partisan divergence in sentiment. Rather than a site of ideological contestation, immigration tends to be discussed in practical terms, often linked to labor shortages and local sustainability. These findings suggest that under conditions of centralized immigration policy, limited migrant presence, and acute demographic pressure, immigration can gain salience in local politics without becoming a polarizing issue. This study contributes to broader debates on demographic change and political responsiveness.

Korea Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data was reported at -0.100 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.000 NA for 2049. Korea Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data is updated yearly, averaging 0.900 NA from Jun 1990 (Median) to 2050, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.800 NA in 2014 and a record low of -2.300 NA in 1996. Korea Migration Rate: per 1000 Inhabitants: Net data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

The datatsets are available in dta format. They contain information about the number of workers in South Korea in terms of their old residence, current residence, and current workplace location. Its observation unit is the districts of South Korea. Please refer to "codebook.xlsx" for the list of variables. It is constructed based on the individual records of the Population Census of South Korea (three waves: 2005, 2010, and 2015). These records were remotely accessed via RAS at Microdata Integrated Service, Statistics Korea. For security and confidentiality reasons, records cannot be moved out of the remote server. Instead, Statistics Korea approved the export of these data sets ("census20yy.dta" for yy = 05, 10, 15), which capture the migration and commuting patterns and DOES NOT contain any information that identifies specific individuals or groups. An excel file (codebook) is provided. These datasets may not be reused or redistributed without permission. Researchers interested in using the datasets for any purpose or anyone with questions about the datasets may contact Wookun Kim at wookunkim@smu.edu. Researchers interested in accessing the raw Census data via the Remote Access Service (RAS) at MDIS must follow the following steps: (1) register online with Statistics Korea and create an account (this step requires resident registration number and contact information in Korea); (2) submit an application with a detailed description of the proposed project, its purpose, its data requirements (e.g., “인구주택총조사 2015” in this case), its empirical methods, and its social contribution via the MDIS website. It may take months from the initial submission of an application to accessing data via RAS. This website (https://mdis.kostat.go.kr/eng/pageLink.do?link=mdisService) provides detailed access information. For additional information about MDIS, researchers may submit an inquiry directly to MDIS at mdis@stat.or.kr.

In 2023, the total number of outgoing migrants in South Korea amounted to about *** thousand. Among them, about ***** thousand were male migrants and about *** thousand were female migrants.

This scatter chart displays net migration (people) against fertility rate (births per woman) in Korea. The data is about countries per year.

South Korea International Migration: National: Outgoing Migrants data was reported at 30,896.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 43,841.000 Person for Aug 2018. South Korea International Migration: National: Outgoing Migrants data is updated monthly, averaging 26,196.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 225 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 51,409.000 Person in Aug 2008 and a record low of 14,970.000 Person in Nov 2002. South Korea International Migration: National: Outgoing Migrants data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G006: Migration: International.

This data package includes the underlying data to replicate the charts and calculations presented in Migration or stagnation: Aging and economic growth in Korea today, the world tomorrow, PIIE Working Paper 24-18.

If you use the data, please cite as:

Clemens, Michael. 2024. Migration or stagnation: Aging and economic growth in Korea today, the world tomorrow. PIIE Working Paper 24-18. Washington: Peterson Institute for International Economics.

This data harmonizes waves 2, 4, and 5 from the European Social Survey, waves 5 and 6 from the World Values Survey, and wave 4 from the European Values Study. The aim of the study was to analyze gender attitudes using the statement "Men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce". For information on those people who stayed in the sending countries data from WVS6 for the following countries was chosen: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Estonia, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe.

I also employ data for several countries from Wave 5 for those societies that were not covered during the last wave: Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, Finland, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Iran, Moldova, Norway, Vietnam, Serbia and Montenegro, and Zambia.

I add European societies that have not been covered by the WVS by using the European Values Study 2008: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia. This gives 65 sending societies in total. As people could have migrated from the European countries of the main focus, namely, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, I add those as well, with a final total of 73 sending countries.

Such variables as age, gender, migration status, religiosity measured by self-attribution (How religious are you?), Importance of God, and church attendance as well as denomination are added. Education is binarized for higher o higher. Employment is measured by 6 categories, marital status - by 5 categories. Those who refused to answer were coded into a separate category "refused".

Country-level variables: Human Development Index (HDI), GDP per capita, Polity IV, Freedom House Civil Liberties Index, Gender Inequality Index (by UNDP), unemployment ratio of women to men; percentage of women in the labor market, percentage of women in parliaments, percentage of Islamic population in the country, Islamic majority in the country (binary), level of religiosity in the country (country average for ``How important is God in your life?"), post-communism, Cultural zones from Inglehart's cultural map (8 groups).

In 2023, the number of internal migrants per 100 population in South Korea stood at ** percent, the same as the previous year. The number of internal migrants over the past decade peaked in 2015. These figures were mainly influenced by, among others, redevelopment projects, real estate businesses, people moving to new large apartments, as well as the employment situation.

South Korea International Migration: National: Incoming Migrants data was reported at 20,133.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 26,364.000 Person for Aug 2018. South Korea International Migration: National: Incoming Migrants data is updated monthly, averaging 23,833.000 Person from Jan 2000 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 225 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 45,992.000 Person in Jan 2018 and a record low of 12,630.000 Person in Nov 2000. South Korea International Migration: National: Incoming Migrants data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G006: Migration: International.