(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jul. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has revealed that the population in Seoul has continued to age, while smaller-unit families were also on the rise.
An data analysis of 42,687 Korean residents over the age of 15 and 2,500 foreigners living in Seoul indicated that the average age of the head of household was 51.5 years old, a three-year increase from the same survey in 2007.
The average in 2007 was 48.5 years of age for heads of families.
This year marks the 15th year that the yearly study has been conducted. The initial surveys in 2003 and 2004 were based on Statistics Korea’s census, but from 2005 onwards, data from resident registration was used.
Analysis of the most recent data also showed that the average number of individuals per household was 2.45 people, a drop from 2.76 per household 10 years prior.
In addition, the survey found that a two-year college degree was the average level of education for household members, which indicated an increase compared to ten years ago.
However, there was still a distinct disparity between various districts within the city when it came to education levels.
The ratio of college graduates within a family was higher in Gangnam districts such as Seocho-gu (61.7 percent) and Gangnam-gu (61.5 percent) compared to those north of the Han River.
The figures for family members holding college degrees in Geumcheon-gu (18.7 percent) and Gangbuk-gu (30.1 percent) were much lower than in neighborhoods south of the river.
More than half of Seoul’s families (54.7 percent) were composed of smaller-unit households (one or two persons per home).
Experts say that this ratio is projected to rise to 68 percent by 2035. The ratio of one-person households was 30.1 percent in 2016.
Thirteen districts in Seoul including Gwanak-gu, Jung-gu, and Jongno-gu had ratios of 30 percent or higher of single-person households.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
