Seoul

==Demographics==
[[File:Seoul population pyramid.svg|thumb|Seoul population pyramid in 2022]]
{{Historical populations|5=1950|6=1,021,000|7=1960|8=2,361,000|9=1970|10=5,312,000|11=1980|12=8,244,000|13=1990|14=10,518,000|percentages=pagr|align=right|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://population.un.org/wup/ |title=World Urbanization Prospects |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-date=19 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119092357/https://population.un.org/wup/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>|15=2000|16=9,879,000|17=2010|18=9,796,000|19=2020|20=9,963,000}}
Seoul proper is noted for its [[population density]], which is almost twice that of [[New York City]] and eight times greater than [[Rome]]. Its metropolitan area was the most densely populated among [[OECD]] countries in Asia in 2012, and second worldwide after that of [[Paris]].<ref>{{cite journal|year=2013|title=Regional population density: Asia and Oceania, 2012: Inhabitants per square kilometre, TL3 regions|journal=OECD Regions at a Glance 2013|doi=10.1787/reg_glance-2013-graph37-en|url=http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/oecd-regions-at-a-glance-2013/regional-population-density-asia-and-oceania-2012_reg_glance-2013-graph37-en|access-date=11 February 2014|doi-access=free|archive-date=21 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221234115/http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/oecd-regions-at-a-glance-2013/regional-population-density-asia-and-oceania-2012_reg_glance-2013-graph37-en|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2015, the population was 9.86&nbsp;million,<ref name="chosunpop">{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/02/14/2014021400795.html|title=Seoul's Population Drops Below 10 Million for First Time in 25 Years|publisher=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=16 February 2014|date=14 February 2014|archive-date=4 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304224351/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/02/14/2014021400795.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 2012, it was 10.44&nbsp;million. As of 2021, the population is 9.59 million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 March 2021|title=32년 만에 '1000만 서울 시대' 막 내렸다...|url=https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2021030311020005613?t=20210417111741|access-date=17 April 2021|website=[[Hankook Ilbo]]|language=ko-KR|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417111942/https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2021030311020005613?t=20210417111741|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="seoul2">{{cite web|url=http://stat.seoul.go.kr/jsp2/Octagon/jsp/WWS00/outer_Seoul.jsp?stc_cd=1|title=Seoul Statistics (Population)|publisher=[[Seoul Metropolitan Government]]|access-date=3 March 2013|archive-date=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019064405/http://stat.seoul.go.kr/jsp2/Octagon/jsp/WWS00/outer_Seoul.jsp?stc_cd=1|url-status=live}}</ref> As of the end of June 2011, 10.29&nbsp;million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a 0.24% decrease from the end of 2010. The population of Seoul has been dropping since the early 1990s, the reasons being the high costs of living, urban sprawling to Gyeonggi region's satellite bed cities and an aging population.<ref name="chosunpop"/>

As of 2016, the number of foreigners living in Seoul was 404,037, 22.9% of the total foreign population in South Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/11/281_239423.html|title=1.76 million foreigners live in South Korea; 3.4% of population|date=17 November 2017|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-date=21 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221075345/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/11/281_239423.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of June 2011, 186,631 foreigners were [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] citizens of Korean ancestry. This was an 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and a 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who were not of Korean ethnicity; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean ancestry. The next highest group were Taiwanese citizens, at 8,717.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/09/117_94610.html|title=Korean Chinese account for nearly 70% of foreigners in Seoul|newspaper=[[The Korea Times]]|date=11 September 2011|access-date=11 February 2014|archive-date=19 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119173111/http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/09/117_94610.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The two major religions in Seoul are [[Christianity in South Korea|Christianity]] and [[Buddhism in South Korea|Buddhism]]. Other religions include [[Muism]] (indigenous religion) and [[Confucianism]]. Seoul is home to one of the world's largest Christian congregations, [[Yoido Full Gospel Church]], which has around 830,000 members.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/node/21532340|title=South Korean mega-churches. For God and country|publisher=Economist|access-date=11 February 2014|date=15 October 2011|archive-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115140941/http://www.economist.com/node/21532340|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the 2015 census, 10.8% of the population follows Buddhism and 35% follows Christianity (24.3% Protestantism and 10.7% Catholicism). 53.6% of the population is irreligious.<ref name="2015census" />

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Seoul (2015)<ref name="2015census">{{cite web|url= https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1PM1502&conn_path=I2|title= 2015 Census – Religion Results|publisher= KOSIS KOrean Statistical Information Service|language= ko|access-date= 10 March 2021|archive-date= 26 February 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210226150454/https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1PM1502&conn_path=I2|url-status= live}}</ref>
|label1 = Not religious
|value1 = 53.6
|color1 = Gray
|label2 = [[Protestantism]]
|value2 = 24.3
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = [[Buddhism]]
|value3 = 10.8
|color3 = Gold
|label4 = [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]
|value4 = 10.7
|color4 = DarkOrchid
|label5 = Other
|value5 = 0.6
|color5 = Black
}}

Seoul is home to the world's largest modern university founded by a Buddhist Order, [[Dongguk University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dongguk.edu/mbs/en/subview.jsp?id=en_010200000000|title=Dongguk University|archive-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915192209/https://www.dongguk.edu/mbs/en/subview.jsp?id=en_010200000000|url-status=live}}</ref> Native Seoulites tend to speak the [[Gyeonggi dialect|Gyeonggi]] dialect of Korean.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}