Korea Ranks near Bottom in OECD
Statistics Korea announced on Feb. 20 that South Koreans’ 2019 to 2021 life satisfaction is 5.9 on a scale of 1 to 10. The OECD average is 6.7 and South Korea’s figure is the 36th in the group of 38 countries. Colombia and Türkiye recorded 5.8 and 4.7, respectively.
According to the agency, South Koreans’ overall life satisfaction edged up and that of those with low income was relatively lower in 2021. “That year, the former rose from 6 to 6.3 and the life satisfaction of households with a monthly income of less than one million won was 5.5,” it said, adding, “The figure was 6 in the case of one million won to two million won.”
In 2021, South Korean households’ income and debt increased together. “GNI per capita increased by 1.79 million won to 39.49 million won and household debt ratio increased 8.7 percentage points to 206.5 percent,” it explained.
Suicides per 100,000 increased 0.3 to 26 in 2021. The number amounted to 41.8 in the age group of 70 to 79 and 61.3 in 80 to 89.