Seoul sees lowest population outflow last year as fewer move to outskirts

By Kim Yu-jin Posted : February 4, 2026, 10:22 Updated : February 4, 2026, 10:22
Ads for apartment sales are displayed at a real estate agency in southern Seoul, in this undated file photo. Yonhap
SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - Fewer people moved to the outskirts of Seoul last year, with the capital seeing the lowest outflow in about 35 years.

According to data released by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) on Wednesday, some 27,000 residents left Seoul last year, down from 35,000 in 2022, 31,000 in 2023, and 45,000 in 2024.

The figure was the lowest since 1990, when Seoul first recorded a decline in relevant statistics.

KOSIS attributed the drop to an increase in available homes in Seoul, even as the overall housing supply fell across the country.

Those who left Seoul mostly relocated elsewhere in the Seoul metropolitan region, with the largest number or about 41,000, moving to Gyeonggi Province.

Although fewer residents are leaving, KOSIS said Seoul is unlikely to see an inflow soon because of high housing and living costs.
Kim Yu-jin

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