South Korea sees 6% rise in basic livelihood recipients, seniors now 44% of total

The Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that at the end of last year South Korea had 2,836,706 people receiving basic livelihood security benefits, an increase of 6.1% from the previous year’s 2,673,485 recipients.

Seniors aged 65 and over accounted for 1,212,262 of those beneficiaries, representing 44.4% of all recipients. Women outnumbered men (1,517,149 vs. 1,215,086). Regional rates varied, with Jeollabuk-do having the highest at 8.2%, followed by Busan (7.9%) and Gwangju (7.6%); the lowest rate was in Sejong at 2.6%. The data underscore the persistence of elderly poverty despite the modest overall increase in support.

The basic livelihood security system provides cash, medical, and housing assistance to low‑income households, covering about 5.3% of the total population (5.5% including facility residents). One‑person households made up 74.7% of beneficiaries.