Nearly 4 in 10 older adults in Korea live below poverty line: Report

Nearly 4 in 10 Koreans aged 66 and older are living below the relative poverty line, highlighting deepening economic insecurity for many in the country’s aging population, a government report showed Friday. According to Social Trends Korea 2025, released by Statistics Korea’s National Statistical Research Institute, 39.7 percent of people aged 66 or older live on incomes below 50 percent of the national median. This is the highest rate among OECD member countries and nearly three times the OECD average of 14.8 percent. The report found that poverty is most severe among those aged 75 and older, who face a “dual crisis” of income insecurity and deteriorating health. While labor force participation among seniors has increased, many remain trapped in low-wage jobs. People aged 60 and older accounted for 69 percent of workers employed fewer than 36 hours a week. Although the poverty rate for households headed by those 65 or older fell from 42.4 percent in 2016 to 36.1 percent in 2023, the study noted that people aged 75 and above benefit less from public income transfers such as the