Statistics Korea on April 14 said the migration background population will account for 6.4% of the overall population in 2040, up from 4.2% in 2020. The photo shows foreign wives of Korean men last year receiving education in interpretation through a course offered by the city of Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. (Changwon City Hall)
By Park Hye Ri and Yoon Sojung
Korea by 2040 is likely to turn into a full-fledged multicultural country given the continued growth of the immigrant population in the country.
Statistics Korea on April 14 released a report forecasting the nation’s native and foreign populations on from 2020-40. The so-called immigrant background population will reach 3.23 million in 2040, up from 2.18 million in 2020, thus non-natives will account for 6.4% of the overall population by 2040, up from 4.2% in 2020.
The immigrant background population comprises naturalized citizens, the second generation of immigrants and foreign residents in the country. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) categorizes a country as multicultural and multiracial when the proportion of such people exceeds 5% of the population.
Statistics Korea predicted that the population of naturalized Koreans will rise from 190,000 in 2020 to 470,000 in 2040 and that of second-generation of immigrants from 280,000 to 600,000 over that period.
The report added that non-natives will account for 8.6% of the working age population in 2040, up from 4.7% in 2020.
Kids with immigrant backgrounds will account for 9.3% of the school-age children population in 2040.
This means one out of 10 students will have foreign nationality or a multicultural background.
Over the same period, the population of Koreans will decrease from 50.13 million in 2020, or 96.7% of the population, to 48.03 million (95.7%) in 2040.
The national population next year is expected to decline to under 50 million at 49.92 million from 50.03 million this year.
Statistics Korea said the native population by 2040 will reach 48.03 million, down from 50.03 million this year, and account for 55.7% of the working age population, down from 71.5%.
hrhr@korea.kr
