Inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea
South Korea: Inflow of working age foreign citizens was 430.26 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea, 2000–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea stood at 430.26.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 41.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea peaked at 735.18 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 208.55, in 2021.
That places South Korea 5th out of 39 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 371.26 | — |
| 2001 | 373.68 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 387.06 | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 404.48 | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 422.52 | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 530.24 | +25.5% |
| 2006 | 613.68 | +15.7% |
| 2007 | 630.33 | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 658.65 | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 591.63 | -10.2% |
| 2010 | 632.1 | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 658.48 | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 643.01 | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 696.17 | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 735.18 | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 683.72 | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 714.02 | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 452.66 | -36.6% |
| 2018 | 473.94 | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 416.43 | -12.1% |
| 2020 | 219.88 | -47.2% |
| 2021 | 208.55 | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 392.96 | +88.4% |
| 2023 | 457.75 | +16.5% |
| 2024 | 430.26 | -6.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 430.26 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 73.38, 5.9× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 430.26 is above the median for high income countries, which is 112.39, 3.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +88.4% | 208.55 | 392.96 |
| 2020 | -47.2% | 416.43 | 219.88 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 498.35 | 371.26 | 658.65 | 10 |
| 2010s | 610.57 | 416.43 | 735.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 341.88 | 208.55 | 457.75 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More gender data for South Korea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,318 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -3.79 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 46,871 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 46,871 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.0957 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 119,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 125,732 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 116,471 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 122,813 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 119,098 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea?
- Inflow of working age foreign citizens in South Korea was 430.26 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest inflow of working age foreign citizens recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 735.18 in 2014.
- What is the lowest inflow of working age foreign citizens recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 208.55 in 2021.
- How does South Korea rank for inflow of working age foreign citizens?
- South Korea ranks 5th out of 39 countries with data for 2024.
- Is inflow of working age foreign citizens rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Inflow of working age foreign citizens. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
For more information, refer to the International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.