Seven out of 10 people who moved from non-capital regions to the capital region in 2023 were young adults. It was also confirmed that the average income of young people who moved to the capital region increased by more than 20%, indicating that job and wage gaps between regions are driving the flow of young people.
According to an analysis of income changes from youth migration released on the 3rd by the National Data Office and the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development, 69.6% of the 190,000 income earners who moved from non-capital regions to the capital region in 2023 were young adults (ages 15 to 39). Among all interregional movers, the youth share was also the highest at 63.9%, showing that young adults are at the center of regional migration.
After young adults moved to the capital region, their income rose significantly. The average income of young people who moved from non-capital regions to the capital region increased 22.8%, from 24.39 million won in 2022 to 29.96 million won in 2023. In particular, women saw a 25.5% increase, a larger rise than men (21.3%).
The share of those who moved up in income brackets (upward mobility) was 34.1%, higher than those who moved down (19.0%). The share of young people who were in the bottom 20% (1st quintile) before moving fell from 30.7% to 21.0%.
In contrast, young adults who moved from the capital region to non-capital regions saw a relatively smaller income increase. The average income growth rate was only 7.6%, and for women it was 0.8%, virtually flat. Downward movement in income brackets (26.2%) outpaced upward movement (24.1%), indicating that leaving the capital region is disadvantageous in terms of income.
By region, young adults who moved from the Daegu–North Gyeongsang area to the capital region recorded the highest income growth rate at 30.5%. In particular, young women from the Daegu–North Gyeongsang area saw their income surge 37.4% when moving to the capital region. Young people who moved to the capital region from the Busan–Ulsan–South Gyeongsang area and the Gwangju–South Jeolla area recorded income increases of 25.1% and 28.0%, respectively.
Ahn Hyeong-jun, head of the National Data Office, said, "Through this analysis, we will actively contribute to more effective implementation of balanced regional growth policies." The Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development plans to use the analysis to implement and review key detailed tasks of the five poles, three specialties balanced growth promotion strategy.