The number of senior citizens engaged in economic activities continued to increase, reaching an all-time high this year, government data showed Wednesday.

Of the country’s 16.44 million people aged 55-79, 60.9 percent were economically active as of May, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

The figure encompasses the currently employed, as well as those actively seeking to land a job.

The number of the employed among the age group also rose by 344,000 on-year to 9.78 million, and the employment rate came to 59.5 percent. The rate is also at a record level, up 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier.

The rise was attributed to a growing number of employed people in the health care and social welfare service sector, which accounted for 13.7 percent of all employed seniors.

The data also found that 69.4 percent of the age group replied they wished to continue to or begin to work in the future.

Of the total seniors, 51.7 percent received a pension, up 0.5 percentage point on-year.

They received 860,000 won (US$619) per month on average, up 5 percent from a year earlier.

South Korea is experiencing rapid aging amid a chronically low birthrate.

As of December 2024, individuals aged 65 and older made up more than 20 percent of the nation’s population, officially classifying South Korea as a super-aged society. (PNA)