Children on an outdoor field trip are playing with soap bubbles. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The overall happiness of children in South Korea has improved steadily over the past decade, but significant disparities remain based on household income and family structure, according to a government-backed study released on Sunday.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) published findings showing that the average life satisfaction score among South Korean children reached 7.14 out of 10 in 2023 — an improvement from 6.10 in 2013 and 6.57 in 2018.
The results are drawn from the government’s Comprehensive Child Survey, conducted every five years.
Notably, the share of children rating their life satisfaction at 9 or 10 — indicating a high level of happiness — rose to around 19% in 2023, suggesting a growing number of children now feel “very happy.”
Nearly one-third of adults consider the ‘education environment’ to be the most crucial factor when purchasing a home. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Income and Family Structure Still Strong Predictors of Well-being
Despite the upward trend in average happiness, the report highlights persistent gaps tied to socioeconomic background. Children from lower-income households reported significantly higher levels of worry and sadness in daily life, while giving lower ratings to statements such as “I was happy yesterday,” “I am satisfied with life,” and “What I do feels meaningful.”
When segmented by poverty status, children from non-poor households reported steady gains in life satisfaction, rising from 6.18 in 2013 to 7.19 in 2023. Poorer children also showed improvement, from 4.61 to 6.20 over the same period — but still trailed their more affluent peers by roughly one point.
Family structure further influenced well-being. Children from single-parent or grandparent-led households scored lower on average (6.33 in 2023) compared to those from two-parent households (7.26), though both groups saw improvement over the past decade.
Children from lower-income households reported significantly higher levels of worry and sadness in daily life (Image created by ChatGPT)
Call for Policy Shift Toward Equity
The study warns that simply raising average happiness scores will not be enough to address inequality.
“The persistence of gaps across income and household type makes it clear that raising the average is not the same as ensuring fairness,” KIHASA stated. “It is time for policy focus to shift toward closing the happiness gap, not just improving the mean.”
The findings underscore the need for more targeted child welfare policies that address the distinct challenges facing disadvantaged children — ensuring that rising national indicators of well-being are shared more evenly across all social groups.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
