Senior citizens wait for the delivery of meals offered for free at a park in Seoul on Aug. 2, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of elderly individuals living alone in Seoul has exceeded the 350,000 level, data showed Sunday.
According to data from Statistics Korea, the number of seniors over 60 years of age living alone in the capital city totaled 355,000 as of 2020, up about 30,000 compared to a year ago.
By district, Nowon and Gangseo districts had the largest number of single-person elderly households.
Concerns are growing that old-age poverty and solitary death could become more serious social issues as the number of elderly people living alone increases along with the decreasing popularity of extended family living together.
According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Welfare Foundation of 3,106 elderly people over 65 years of age, 29.7 percent of the respondents said that there was no one who cared for them at home and accordingly chances are high for them to die alone.
The share of such respondents increased sharply from 18.4 percent in the previous survey conducted in 2018.
In the evaluation of life satisfaction on the basis of scores of seven items, including health and economic conditions, elderly people living alone scored 18.6 on a scale of 35 points, lower than 24.3 points for other elderly people who do not live alone.
In particular, when it came to satisfaction with their health, elderly people living alone scored 2.87 points, far lower than 3.45 for other elderly people who do not live alone.
The number of chronic diseases stood at 3.1 for elderly people living alone, higher than two for other elderly people who do not live alone.
Even on the depression test, the elderly people living alone marked 6.2 points, higher than 3.3 for other elderly people who were not living alone.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
