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Solitary deaths rose 7% in 2024, disproportionately affecting men
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By Park Ung
Men in Korea died in social isolation at a rate five times higher than women last year, with most deaths concentrated among men in their 50s and older.
The disparity has renewed calls for stronger intervention, as the rise of single-person and aging households leaves more people vulnerable to dying alone.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday released a report on solitary deaths, defined as people who die alone in social isolation, cut off from family, relatives and others close to them.
The report reviewed 57,145 police case records from last year and identified cases that met that definition.
Korea recorded 3,924 solitary deaths in 2024, up 7.2 percent from the previous year, according to the report.
Men accounted for 81.7 percent of solitary deaths, more than five times the share of women at 15.4 percent. By age group, those in their 60s made up the largest share at 32.4 percent, followed by people in their 50s at 30.5 percent.
When gender and age are combined, men in their 60s made up the largest share at 27.8 percent, followed by men in their 50s at 26.2 percent, indicating that middle-aged and older men are most vulnerable to solitary deaths.
By region, Gyeonggi Province had the most cases at 22.8 percent, followed by Seoul at 20 percent and Busan at 9.4 percent. Most solitary deaths occurred in residential homes, which accounted for 48.9 percent of cases, followed by apartments at 19.7 percent.
Among those who died in social isolation, 1,462 people, or 39.1 percent, had received basic livelihood benefits within the year before they died. The share has stayed around 40 percent for the past five years.
Experts say the increase was driven by a mix of factors — more single-person households, rapid aging, weakened face-to-face relationships amid digitalization, shrinking community ties and a post-COVID shift toward delivery and platform work — all of which deepened social isolation.
“The government has designated a ‘lifelong response to social isolation’ as a national priority to stem the continued rise in solitary deaths,” said Park Jae-man, director general of the Welfare Administration Support Bureau.
“As a result, starting next year, the policy will expand to cover those at risk, enabling early identification and tailored support across different stages of life,” Park added.