One of the trending topics in the media and online communities lately is that "Gen MZ doesn't get driver's licenses"โbasically claiming 20-somethings are getting licenses way less than before. They cite the drop in new license holders and the surge in driving schools closing down. The reactions are usually: 'Public transport is so good we don't need cars,' 'Cars are too expensive,' or 'Instructors were rude anyway, serves them right.'
But is that actually true? I had my doubts, so I looked into it. I checked the population for each age group and the number of new license holders from 2019 to 2023 (since 2023 is the most recent data). *Source: KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service)
I compiled data for ages 16 to 30,
and calculated the acquisition rate separately. Results? The acquisition rate actually increased for almost every age group. I made a chart. (Excluded 16โ19 since the percentage is negligible.)
For almost all age groups, you can see that 'the license acquisition rate is actually rising.' To be honest, there isn't a massive change... but it's definitely not decreasing like the news says. Conclusion: It's not that Gen MZ isn't getting licenses; it's that the population of 20-somethings has plummeted, so the total count is lower. (The acquisition rate itself is still going up.)
Ref 1) Number of new license holders by year/age (The raw number of people is definitely dropping, except for those 28+ where the birth rate was still okay).
Ref 2) Population structure
Source: https://m.dcinside.com/board/singlebungle1472/2146626
"The community realizes that the 'Gen MZ hates driving' narrative is just clickbait hiding the fact that Korea is literally running out of young people."
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