S. Korea's Suicide Rate Surges to Highest Level in Over Decade

(MENAFN) South Korea’s suicide rate has surged to its highest level in over a decade, even as the nation’s overall life satisfaction score remained flat, painting a stark picture of deepening social strain beneath the surface of one of Asia’s most advanced economies, according to a government report released Thursday.

The annual quality-of-life report, published by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, found that the national life satisfaction score held at 6.4 out of 10 in 2024 — unchanged from 2023 — according to media. But behind that stagnant headline figure lies a widening chasm driven by economic inequality.

Households earning less than 1 million won (approximately $682) per month recorded the lowest satisfaction score of 5.8, while those bringing in 3 million won or more monthly reported scores between 6.4 and 6.5 — nearly matching the national average and underlining how sharply income shapes lived experience in the country.

Measured against its peers, South Korea continues to lag. Drawing on data from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the report placed South Korea 33rd out of 38 OECD member nations based on a three-year average from 2022 to 2024, with a score of 6.04 — well below the OECD average of 6.5.

The mental health data proved even more alarming. The country’s suicide rate climbed to 29.1 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024, a rise of 1.8 from the prior year, marking the second straight annual increase and the highest recorded figure since 2011, when the rate reached 31.7 per 100,000 people.

The back-to-back annual increases signal a troubling trajectory for a nation already grappling with demographic decline, high-pressure work culture, and persistent youth unemployment — forces that researchers have long identified as key drivers of mental health deterioration.

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