The number of foreign nationals in Korea increased by 8.6 percent this year from the previous year, comprising slightly over 3 percent of the country’s population, according to government data.

According to the data released by the Security Ministry, the number of foreigners here reached 1.57 million as of Jan. 1 of this year, accounting for 3.1 percent of the country’s population of 51 million.

The number of foreign residents has been on the rise for the past eight years.

A growing number of ethnic Koreans also have been applying to stay here permanently, according to the data.