New data finds that nearly two-and-a-half million people did not take part in economic activity due to old age last month.

According to the Korean Statistical Information Service(KOSIS) on Monday, the number of older economically inactive adults in June amounted to two-point-48 million. The figure marks an increase of 121-thousand from a year ago and is the highest to be posted for the month of June.

Statistics Korea said that while the number of people in the economically inactive population as a whole saw a decline for the 16th consecutive month in June, the number of older adults within the group grew.

The “economically inactive population” refers to people aged 15 and older who are either incapable of working or capable of working but choose not to. The older adult population includes Koreans aged 65 and over.

The number of people who didn’t engage in economic activity due to old age topped two million in 2016 after having stood at just one-point-four million in 1999 when related statistics began to be compiled.

Such people came to account for 15-point-six percent of the economically inactive population this year, up from the ten-point-three percent posted in 1999.

An official of the statistics agency attributed the growing demographic to the continuously aging population and increased life expectancy.