The number of foreigners in South Korea expanded by more than ten percent last year, despite a decline in the number of domestic nationals, resulting in an overall population increase for the first time in three years.

According to Statistics Korea on Monday, the population and housing census showed that as of November 1, 2023, the country's total population was five-point-177 million, up zero-point-two percent from a year earlier.

The population, which was previously on a two-year streak of decline since 2021, made a turnabout, largely due to the biggest-ever jump of ten-point-four-percent in the number of foreigners from increased state hiring permits.

While the number of South Korean nationals continued to drop, the number of children aged up to 14 declined on-year from five-point-86 million to five-point-62 million, with the age group taking up ten-point-nine percent of the total population. 

The number of people aged 15 to 64 in the economically productive group also fell from 36-point-69 million to 36-point-55 million during the same period.