Seoul Families Are Changing: More Marriages, Fewer Divorces

Announcement on Changes in Family Structure Among Seoul Citizens
Marriage Increases for Two Consecutive Years, Divorce Declines
Single-Person Households Reach 40%, Elderly Households Surpass 30%
Households with Young Children Drop by 40% in Eight Years

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of marriages among Seoul citizens has increased for two consecutive years. While the number of divorces has steadily declined, single-person households now account for nearly 40% of all households, and households with elderly members have surpassed 30%.

On September 15, the Seoul Metropolitan Government released a report titled "Changes in Marriage and Family Structure among Seoul Citizens," which analyzes trends in marriage, divorce, and household composition. The report is based on nationally approved statistics, including the Population and Housing Census and the Population Trend Survey from Statistics Korea.

The number of marriages plummeted from 44,746 in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to 35,752 in 2022. However, as the pandemic ended, the number rebounded to 36,324 in 2023. Last year, the figure reached 42,471, an increase of 16.9% compared to the previous year.

The average age at first marriage was 34.3 years for men and 32.4 years for women. International marriages accounted for about 10% of all marriages. Last year, there were 4,006 international marriages registered in Seoul: 2,633 involved a Korean husband and a foreign wife, while 1,373 involved a foreign husband and a Korean wife.

Although the number of divorces is on the decline, the average age at divorce has risen. Last year, there were 12,154 divorces, a significant decrease from 19,477 in 2014. However, the average age at divorce last year was 51.9 years for men and 49.4 years for women, which is more than a decade higher than in 2000 (40.8 years for men and 37.4 years for women). As a result, the proportion of divorces among those aged 60 and older has surged from around 3% in 2000 to 25% last year.

Single-person households have become the norm in Seoul, accounting for approximately 1.66 million households, or 39.9% of the total. Two-person households made up 26.2%, while four-person households accounted for 12.3%. As of July this year, people aged 60 or older made up 20.2% of Seoul’s total population, indicating that the city has entered a "super-aged society." Households with at least one member aged 65 or older now exceed 30% of all households.

The number of non-kin households increased from about 60,000 in 2016 to about 120,000 last year. This suggests a growing trend of friends, colleagues, or life partners-who are not related by marriage or blood-sharing a residence. The city noted that this increase is especially pronounced among people in their 20s and 30s.

Households with at least one child aged 0 to 5 have been declining. The number of such households in Seoul dropped from about 350,000 in 2016 to about 200,000 last year, a decrease of over 40% in eight years. During the same period, the number of young children also fell from about 440,000 to about 240,000, clearly reflecting the trend of low birth rates. The number of single-parent households also decreased from about 320,000 in 2016 to about 280,000 last year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to strengthen customized care, housing, and welfare policies in response to these family changes, and to develop policies that institutionally embrace multicultural and non-kin households. Kang Okhyun, Director of Seoul’s Digital City Bureau, stated, "We will implement policies that ensure no citizen is left behind, by reflecting the changing reality and preventing isolation and loneliness, stabilizing housing for young people, and creating a child-rearing-friendly environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.