SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's population mobility hit its lowest in 51 years last year amid the prolonged low birth rate and aging population, statistical ministry data showed Thursday.
The number of those who changed residence to a different province or town stood at 6,118,000 in 2025, down 2.6 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
It marked the lowest figure in 51 years since 1974 and the fastest fall in three years since 2022.
The record-low mobility was driven by long-term demographic shifts, such as low births and aging, combined with short-term factors such as a decrease in housing completions and fewer apartments scheduled for move-in.
The population mobility rate, which gauges the number of people moving to a different region for every 100 people, slipped 0.3 percentage points to 12.0 percent in 2025.
By age, the mobility rate among those in their 20s recorded the highest of 24.3 percent, followed by those in their 30s with 20.4 percent and those in their 40s with 11.1 percent. ■