Seoul Korea - The population in the Seoul metropolitan area is projected to decline from 2030. According to a report "2013-2040 Population Projection by Region" published by the National Statistical Office on December 11, the metropolitan area population will peak in 2029 to account for 50.2 percent of the whole country's population at 26.18 million and start decreasing in 2030.
As for the population of Seoul proper, it will likely fall to 9.16 million in 2040 from 9.93 million in 2013. The population of Gyeonggi Province is forecast to rise to 13.47 million by 2031 from 12.14 million in 2013 and start declining to 13.25 million in 2040.
The populations of other cities and provinces such as Busan, Daegu, and South Jeolla Province will also show a decreasing trend, shifting the population ranking in the order of Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, Busan, and South Gyeongsang Province in 2013 to Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, South Gyeongsang Province, Incheon, and Busan in 2040.
Sejong city, together with nearby Cheonan, Asan, and Dangjin, as well as the province of South Chungcheong, will likely see its population rise due to the inflow of people as more government agencies move to the city. The population of Jeju is also likely to rise until 2039.
