Deaths in Isolation Closely Linked to Poverty and Untreated Illness (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — People with low incomes, chronic illnesses, mental health conditions or alcohol-related disorders face a sharply higher risk of dying alone, according to a major South Korean study that underscores the growing social costs of inequality and isolation.
Researchers at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital analyzed police forensic records and National Health Insurance data, comparing 3,122 people classified as having died alone in 2021 with 9,493 individuals of the same age and gender in the general population. The findings were published this month in an international medical journal of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.
The study found that economic hardship was the strongest predictor of solitary death. More than half of those who died alone—54.5 percent—belonged to the lowest income bracket, compared with 19.2 percent in the control group. Nearly one-third of the solitary-death group were recipients of government medical aid, far higher than the 4 percent seen among their peers.
After adjusting for other factors, people in the lowest income group were found to be more than 14 times as likely to die alone as those in higher-income households, making poverty the most closely associated risk factor identified in the study.
Health conditions also played a significant role. About 14.5 percent of those who died alone suffered from multiple serious illnesses, compared with 8.6 percent in the control group. Mental health disorders showed especially stark differences: mood disorders, including schizophrenia and depression, were present in nearly one-third of solitary-death cases, more than double the rate among the general population.
Alcohol-related conditions were even more pronounced. Nearly 20 percent of those who died alone had alcohol-related mental disorders, compared with just 1.5 percent in the control group. Alcoholic liver disease was also five times more common among solitary deaths.
The researchers noted that people who died alone had significantly higher rates of outpatient visits, hospitalizations and emergency room use in the period before death, suggesting repeated contact with the medical system without effective social intervention.
“This study goes beyond simple statistics by closely comparing solitary deaths with the general population to identify the core characteristics driving the risk,” the research team said. They added that the findings could provide an evidence base for national policy responses and stronger social safety nets aimed at preventing isolated deaths.
The issue of solitary death has become an increasing concern in South Korea as the country grapples with rapid aging, widening income gaps and the erosion of traditional family support systems, placing new pressure on the Democratic Party–led government to expand community-based care and social monitoring programs.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
