Last year, 8 out of 10 citizens perceived the conflict between 'conservatives and progressives' as the most serious social issue. The rate of those who felt serious about 'gender conflict' also surpassed 50%.
According to the '2024 Social Indicators of Korea' report released by the Statistics Korea on 25th, 77.5% of citizens were found to perceive the conflict between conservatives and progressives as serious. This is the highest figure among eight types of conflicts surveyed. This figure shows a slight decrease from last year (82.9%). However, the survey was conducted in August to September 2023, so the political turmoil that occurred afterward is not reflected.
Following ideological conflict, the perception of social conflict was high for 'the impoverished and the middle class' (74.8%), 'workers and employers' (66.4%), and 'development and environmental conservation' (61.9%). In particular, the recognition of conflict between 'men and women' increased significantly to 51.7%, a large rise compared to the previous year (42.2%), marking the highest increase among the items.
Indicators related to social isolation are also showing a deteriorating trend. Among the population aged 19 and older, the response of 'feeling lonely' was 21.1%, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the previous year. The response of 'there is no one who knows me well' also rose to 16.2%, an increase of 3.2 percentage points. By age group, the proportion of those reporting loneliness was highest among those aged 60 and over, while the highest percentage of those feeling misunderstood was among those in their 40s.
Satisfaction with life has somewhat improved. The proportion of respondents who answered that they are 'satisfied' with their lives was 75.6%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year. The percentage of respondents who considered their work to be 'valuable' also rose to 76.3%, an increase of 7.9 percentage points from last year. Higher income groups reported higher life satisfaction, and younger age groups continued to perceive the value of work more highly.
In the education sector, both participation rates in private education and expenditures for private education showed an upward trend. Based on last year, the private education participation rate for students was 80.0%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier. Participation rates increased across all income levels, with notable growth in expenditures for private education among high-income households. The average monthly expenditure for private education per student was 474,000 won, showing a 9.3% increase compared to the previous year.
Enrollment rates by school system increased for elementary schools (100.2%) and high schools (93.9%), while the rate for middle schools (95.8%) slightly declined. The enrollment rate for higher education institutions remained the same at 74.9%.
The total population is expected to decline amid the aging trend. Last year, the total population was 51.75 million, of which those aged 0 to 14 years numbered 5.49 million (10.6%), 15 to 64 years 36.33 million (70.2%), and those aged 65 years and older 9.94 million (19.2%). Statistics Korea predicts that by 2072, the total population will decrease to 36.22 million, with the proportion of individuals aged 65 and over reaching 47.7%.
The number of households has increased due to the rise in one-person households. In 2023, the total number of households was 22.73 million, an increase of 350,000 households from the previous year, and the number of elderly households with heads aged 65 and older reached 5.655 million, an increase of 320,000 households. The proportion of one-person households was the highest at 35.5%, followed by two-person households (28.8%), three-person households (19.1%), and households with four or more people (16.6%).
In health-related indicators, both smoking rates and drinking rates have risen, while the proportion of health practices has decreased. Among the population aged 19 and older, the smoking rate increased by 1.6 percentage points to 18.5%, while the drinking rate increased by 1.1 percentage points to 55.1%. The practice rate for aerobic physical activities was 48.9%, and the practice rate for healthy eating was 49.2%, both slightly down from the previous year.
In housing indicators, the price-to-income ratio (PIR) remained the same at 6.3 times compared to the previous year, while the rental burden rate (RIR) decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 15.8%. By region, the PIR in the metropolitan area was higher at 8.5 times compared to the national average, while the provincial area had the lowest at 3.7 times. The per capita living area increased to 31.4 square meters, an increase of 0.5 square meters, and the proportion of households failing to meet minimum housing standards was 3.6%, down by 0.3 percentage points.