Foreign residents35,882peopleNaturalized citizens 4,229 people
Foreign resident share2.59%Of registered residents
Resident types
Gwangju ranks 13th of 17 in Korea by foreign residents.
By residence type
As of September 2026Unit: %
Overseas Koreans 14.0%Other foreign nationals 37.0%Migrant workers 17.8%Marriage migrants 10.5%Foreign students 20.7%
| Type | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Overseas Koreans | 5,021 | 14% |
| Other foreign nationals | 13,271 | 37% |
| Migrant workers | 6,400 | 17.8% |
| Marriage migrants | 3,760 | 10.5% |
| Foreign students | 7,430 | 20.7% |
Other foreign nationals are the largest group at 13,271.
Age structure
By age group
As of September 2026| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1,377 | 3.8% |
| 10s | 2,119 | 5.9% |
| 20s | 12,379 | 34.5% |
| 30s | 9,321 | 26% |
| 40s | 5,255 | 14.6% |
| 50s | 3,344 | 9.3% |
| 60s | 1,566 | 4.4% |
| 70+ | 521 | 1.5% |
Residents in their 20s are the largest age group at 12,379.
Foreign resident ranking
Foreign residents by region
As of September 2026| Region | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Gwangsan-gu | 21,360 | 59.5% |
| Buk-gu | 6,633 | 18.5% |
| Seo-gu | 3,319 | 9.2% |
| Dong-gu | 2,442 | 6.8% |
| Nam-gu | 2,128 | 5.9% |
The top three areas are home to 87.3% of all foreign residents in Gwangju.
Frequently asked questionsβ
35,882 as of the 2026 survey, or 2.59% of its population.
Other foreign nationals form the largest group, at 13,271.
13th out of 17.
The 2026 edition of the annual local foreign resident survey by Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Population figures come from monthly resident registration data, so the two have different reference dates.
Sources π
- MOIS Survey of Foreign Residents by Local GovernmentKOGL Type 1 Β· 2026 survey Β· updated yearly