SEOUL, November 30 (AJP) - South Korea's population structure is shifting faster than expected as the share of one-person households climbed to a new high last year and the number of older adults passed the 10 million mark for the first time.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's annual social security statistics released on November 30, the number of people living alone reached 8.045 million in 2024, accounting for 36.1 percent of all households. The steady rise reflects long-term changes in living patterns, including delayed marriage, lower birthrates and a growing preference for independent living.
In 2015, one-person households made up 27.2 percent of all homes, or 5.2 million. The figure passed 30 percent in 2020 at 6.64 million and has increased each year since. If current trends continue, the ministry projects that single-person households will reach 8.55 million in 2027, 9.71 million in 2037 and approach 9.94 million in 2042.
The country's aging curve is steepening at the same time. Last year, the number of people aged 65 or older reached 10 million, the highest on record. Older adults now make up 20.1 percent of the population, placing Korea in what officials classify as a super-aged society. The demographic shift is expected to influence everything from labor supply to social spending in the years ahead.
The decline in younger families is most visible in early childhood services. The number of childcare centers nationwide has fallen steadily for more than a decade, dropping from 43,770 in 2013 to 30,923 in 2022 and 28,954 in 2023. By last year, the total had declined further to 27,387. While the overall number has shrunk, the share of public childcare centers has grown, accounting for 23.8 percent of all facilities last year.
Private education spending also continued to rise. The proportion of students receiving private tutoring reached 80 percent in 2024, up from 78.5 percent a year earlier. Average monthly spending on private education was 474,000 won per student. High school students spent an average of 520,000 won, middle school students 490,000 won and elementary school students 440,000 won.
The number of practicing doctors totaled 109,274 last year, down 4.7 percent from 114,699 the previous year. Koreans continued to see doctors far more frequently than people in other advanced economies. Based on 2023 data, the average number of annual doctor visits per person was 18, compared with the OECD average of 6.7.
Government spending on social welfare, health and related services came to 237.6 trillion won last year, equal to 36.2 percent of all national expenditures.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare publishes its annual statistical report under the Framework Act on Social Security, compiling data from national surveys and administrative records to analyze trends across household structure, income and employment security and access to social services.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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