The resident population in areas experiencing population decline reached its highest level in February. The stay population exceeded four times the registered population, indicating active local engagement.
On July 30, the National Data Agency announced the results of the 'First Quarter 2026 Resident Population Assessment,' revealing that the resident population in 89 declining areas across the country was 25.82 million in February, the highest for the quarter. Among this, the stay population was 20.98 million, approximately 4.3 times the registered population of 4.84 million.
The resident population includes registered residents and foreign residents who stayed for more than three hours at least once a month. In February, the resident population increased by 5.6 million compared to the same month last year, although January and March saw decreases of 3.51 million and 250,000, respectively.
Regionally, the resident population in February increased in all provinces compared to the same month last year, while January and March saw declines in most areas except for North Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang. The highest stay population ratios by district were recorded in Muju County, North Jeolla in January; Pyeongchang County, Gangwon in February; and Gurye County, South Jeolla in March. Busan's Dong District had the largest stay population across all three months.
The average length of stay in declining areas was 3.5 days in both January and March, with February being the shortest. Most areas had a higher proportion of same-day stays, but Gangwon showed a preference for short stays, while metropolitan areas had a higher proportion of medium to long stays compared to other regions.
In all areas, the stay population on holidays was greater than on weekdays, with February showing the highest ratio at 3.4 times that of weekdays. The concentration of same-day stays on holidays was also highest in February, with South Gyeongsang showing the highest ratio at 3.8 times that of weekdays nationwide.
By type of stay population, short-term accommodation (tourism and leisure) had a higher proportion of women and individuals under 40, as well as residents from non-adjacent provinces. In contrast, commuting and studying types had a higher proportion of men and individuals aged 30 to 50, while long-term residents were predominantly men under 30.
The ratio of foreign stay population averaged 2.1 times lower than that of domestic residents in the first quarter, but they tended to stay longer, with an average length of stay of 4.7 days and an average stay time of 14.5 hours.
The average card spending per person in declining areas was 127,000 won in the first quarter, showing an increasing trend with age. For short-term accommodation, the highest average spending was in the healthcare sector, while commuting and studying types had significant expenditures in education and transportation, and long-term residents spent more on education and accommodation. The card spending of the stay population accounted for about 33% of total card spending, exceeding 47% in metropolitan declining areas.
On July 30, the National Data Agency announced the results of the 'First Quarter 2026 Resident Population Assessment,' revealing that the resident population in 89 declining areas across the country was 25.82 million in February, the highest for the quarter. Among this, the stay population was 20.98 million, approximately 4.3 times the registered population of 4.84 million.
The resident population includes registered residents and foreign residents who stayed for more than three hours at least once a month. In February, the resident population increased by 5.6 million compared to the same month last year, although January and March saw decreases of 3.51 million and 250,000, respectively.
Regionally, the resident population in February increased in all provinces compared to the same month last year, while January and March saw declines in most areas except for North Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang. The highest stay population ratios by district were recorded in Muju County, North Jeolla in January; Pyeongchang County, Gangwon in February; and Gurye County, South Jeolla in March. Busan's Dong District had the largest stay population across all three months.
The average length of stay in declining areas was 3.5 days in both January and March, with February being the shortest. Most areas had a higher proportion of same-day stays, but Gangwon showed a preference for short stays, while metropolitan areas had a higher proportion of medium to long stays compared to other regions.
In all areas, the stay population on holidays was greater than on weekdays, with February showing the highest ratio at 3.4 times that of weekdays. The concentration of same-day stays on holidays was also highest in February, with South Gyeongsang showing the highest ratio at 3.8 times that of weekdays nationwide.
By type of stay population, short-term accommodation (tourism and leisure) had a higher proportion of women and individuals under 40, as well as residents from non-adjacent provinces. In contrast, commuting and studying types had a higher proportion of men and individuals aged 30 to 50, while long-term residents were predominantly men under 30.
The ratio of foreign stay population averaged 2.1 times lower than that of domestic residents in the first quarter, but they tended to stay longer, with an average length of stay of 4.7 days and an average stay time of 14.5 hours.
The average card spending per person in declining areas was 127,000 won in the first quarter, showing an increasing trend with age. For short-term accommodation, the highest average spending was in the healthcare sector, while commuting and studying types had significant expenditures in education and transportation, and long-term residents spent more on education and accommodation. The card spending of the stay population accounted for about 33% of total card spending, exceeding 47% in metropolitan declining areas.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.