Working age foreign citizens in South Korea

South Korea: Working age foreign citizens was 1,833 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1,833
Change on year
up 5.4%
World rank
9th
of 35 countries
All-time high
1,833
in 2024
All-time low
1,364
in 2015
Years of data
8
2015–2024

Working age foreign citizens in South Korea, 2015–2024

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2015201920242015: 1.4k2016: 1.4k2017: 1.5k2018: 1.5k2021: 1.6k2022: 1.6k2023: 1.7k2024: 1.8k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 1,833 for working age foreign citizens in 2024. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, working age foreign citizens in South Korea peaked at 1,833 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,364, in 2015.

South Korea ranks 9th of 35 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Working age foreign citizens in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Working age foreign citizens in South Korea, 2015 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2015 1,364
2016 1,414 +3.7%
2017 1,479 +4.6%
2018 1,528 +3.3%
2021 1,566 +2.5%
2022 1,562 -0.2%
2023 1,740 +11.4%
2024 1,833 +5.4%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 1,833 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 201.14, 9.1× the median. (10 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 1,833 is above the median for high income countries, which is 573.27, 3.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1,446 1,364 1,528 4
2020s 1,675 1,562 1,833 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 6 Australia 4,206 compare
  2. 7 Japan 3,464 compare
  3. 8 Switzerland 2,105 compare
  4. 10 Iran 1,795 compare
  5. 11 Chile 1,350 compare
  6. 12 Turkey 1,275 compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More gender data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is working age foreign citizens in South Korea?
Working age foreign citizens in South Korea was 1,833 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest working age foreign citizens recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 1,833 in 2024.
What is the lowest working age foreign citizens recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 1,364 in 2015.
How does South Korea rank for working age foreign citizens?
South Korea ranks 9th out of 35 countries with data for 2024.
Is working age foreign citizens rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Working age foreign citizens. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Working age foreign citizens in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/working-age-foreign-citizens/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Working age foreign citizens
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
35 places, 288 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

For more information, refer to the International Labour Migration Statistics (ILMS) database description.