KIRD Immigrant statistics in Korea 한국어

Open dataset

Table 1.17 files in the open datasetUnit: rows, columns, KB
FileContentsRowsColumnsYearSize
multicultural_households.csvMulticultural household composition by sub-district299,791102016–202433,769
visa_by_nationality.csvRegistered foreigners by nationality and status of stay250,30182006–202517,295
nationality_by_sigungu.csvRegistered foreigners by district and nationality189,18582008–202514,457
language_demand.csvFirst-language demand estimated from nationality composition110,31892006–20258,323
age_sex_national.csvStaying foreigners by age and sex, national109,02962009–20254,096
visa_by_sigungu.csvRegistered foreigners by district and status of stay80,90272008–20254,795
children_by_age.csvChildren of foreign residents (MOIS) by district and age63,34772011–20243,671
summary_by_eupmyeondong.csvRegistered foreigners and resident-registration population by sub-district39,439212014–20245,832
naturalization_by_country.csvNationality-related decisions by nationality16,01962009–20251,021
summary_by_sigungu.csvRegistered foreigners, resident-registration population, share, and diversity index by district4,490302008–2025874
naturalization_by_age.csvNationality-related decisions by age1,66252009–202582
segregation_by_nationality.csvIndex of dissimilarity, isolation index, and interaction with Koreans by nationality1,16992014–202582
ethnic_enclaves.csvCases of one nationality at 30% or more of local foreigners796112008–202575
summary_by_sido.csvRegistered foreigners and resident-registration population by province, with share and diversity index334262006–202558
naturalization_annual.csvNationality cases by year15042011–20256
region_segregation.csvSegregation indicators by district13262014–20256
national_annual.csvRegistered foreigners and staying foreigners by year, national18132008–20252
Total17 tables1,167,082-2006–202594,444

Source: openICPSR open dataset DOI 10.3886/E249944V1.

Note: the files download in two formats, CSV and Stata dta. Variable definitions are in data_dictionary.csv. Clicking a file name opens its description in Pipeline repository. The basis for each table is set out in Indicators and scope.

Table 2.Published figures against district totalsUnit: persons, %
YearYearbook national totalDistrict totalDifferenceDifference rate
2008853,884850,8843,0000.35
2009870,530864,8545,6760.65
2010918,796912,0896,7070.73
2011982,344980,0352,3090.24
2012932,861930,9861,8750.2
2013985,769984,1401,6290.17
20141,091,3731,086,5014,8720.45
20151,142,9311,142,0648670.08
20161,161,5081,160,1981,3100.11
20171,171,5911,171,2203710.03
20181,246,4431,245,1081,3350.11
20191,271,6531,271,5351180.01
20201,145,3671,143,6641,7030.15
20211,093,7221,091,5742,1480.2
20221,189,3941,186,6552,7390.23
20231,348,4351,345,5902,8450.21
20241,488,1691,485,2852,8840.19
20251,604,7251,601,4523,2730.2

Source: MOJ Statistical Yearbook on Immigration and Foreign Policy each year.

Note: The national figure in the yearbook and the sum of the district tables differ slightly each year. The difference is people for whom the yearbook records no district, and they are left unassigned. Plates at the district level use the district total as the denominator. The difference ranges from 118 people in 2019 to 6,707 in 2010, or 0.01% to 0.73% of the total.

Downloads

Source data

Note: The year range is the range this site actually uses. It can differ from the range the ministry publishes.

Citation

Yoo, N. (2026). Spatiotemporal administrative dataset of nationality, residential diversity, and language demand among immigrants in South Korea, 2006–2024 [Data set]. Ann Arbor, MI: openICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/E249944V1

License

CC BY 4.0. The copyright holder is Nari Yoo (University of Michigan School of Social Work). Copyright in the source data rests with each ministry. Questions to nariyoo@umich.edu.