The life expectancy of Korea's people reached a record high of 83.7 years, ranking among the top levels in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Mortality that can be prevented through prevention and treatment was also much lower than the OECD average, indicating that the overall level of health care is sound. However, the growing burden of medical costs due to increased health care use and the low number of physicians were cited as areas for improvement.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare released on the 23rd the results of its analysis of key indicators from OECD Health Statistics 2026, which the OECD released on the 7th. The statistics cover overall health care, including health status, health risk factors, health care resources and use, medical expenditures, the pharmaceutical market, and long-term care.
According to the analysis, Koreans' life expectancy in 2024 was 83.7 years, 2.5 years longer than the OECD average of 81.2 years. It was only 0.5 years shorter than Switzerland, which had the longest life expectancy among member countries at 84.2 years.
As life expectancy increased in most OECD countries due to improvements in living environments and the development of medical services, Korea also remained in the upper ranks.
Avoidable mortality, which refers to deaths that can be reduced through disease prevention and appropriate treatment, was 139.0 per 100,000 people, lower than the OECD average of 208.8.
In contrast, the suicide mortality rate was 24.8 per 100,000 people, the highest among OECD countries, and increased slightly from the previous year. However, it showed a long-term downward trend, from 29.8 in 2013 to 24.8 in 2023.
Health risk factors were also relatively favorable. The smoking rate among those 15 and older was 13.2%, similar to the OECD average of 12.7%, and per capita annual alcohol consumption was 7.6 liters, lower than the average of 8.3 liters. The share of people who are overweight or obese was 37.3%, lower than the OECD average of 58.7%, the second-lowest among member countries.
However, the shortage of medical personnel persisted. The number of practicing physicians per 1,000 people, including Korean medicine doctors, was 2.6, or 65% of the OECD average of 4.0. By contrast, the number of practicing nurses was 9.8, similar to the OECD average of 9.7.
Medical infrastructure such as equipment and beds far exceeded the OECD average. There were 39.3 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and 46.7 computed tomography (CT) scanners per 1 million people, higher than the OECD averages of 21.5 MRIs and 31.5 CTs. The number of hospital beds was 12.5 per 1,000 people, about three times the OECD average of 4.2.
Health care utilization was also high. The number of outpatient visits per person was 17.9 per year, the highest among OECD countries. Current health expenditure as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) was 8.5%, lower than the OECD average of 9.3%, but it has risen rapidly over the past 10 years. Per capita pharmaceutical sales were $1,041.2 (PPP basis), higher than the OECD average of $708.5.
The burden of long-term care due to aging is also increasing. Among seniors aged 65 and older, the share using long-term care services was 9.1% for home and community-based care and 2.7% for institutional care, lower than the OECD averages of 11.2% and 3.6%, respectively, but it has been rising rapidly over the past 10 years as the elderly population grows and demand for services expands.
Lee Yun-shin, Director General for Policy Planning at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "OECD health statistics are representative statistics produced based on common standards across countries and are used to objectively analyze the level of Korea's health care and as basic data for policy making," adding, "We will continue to strengthen cooperation with international organizations and work to manage the quality of health care statistics."