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Korea’s mental health-related deaths exceed OECD average: report

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By Lee Hae-rin
  • Published KST
  • Updated KST
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Korea continues to have the highest rate of mental health-related deaths among the 38 OECD member countries, according to a government policy brief released Wednesday. Despite gains in overall health care and longer life expectancy, the national suicide rate has remained stubbornly high.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea recorded 6.9 suicides per 1,000 for psychiatric patients within one year after discharge from hospitalization. The figure is nearly double the OECD average of 3.4 per 1,000, highlighting the need for stronger postdischarge follow-up and community-based support.

OCED’s "Health at a Glance 2025" report, which the ministry quoted in the brief, shows that Korea recorded 26.2 suicides per 100,000 people in 2024, far exceeding the OECD average of 10.8. This disparity places the country at the top of the global ranking for mental health mortality.

Since 2003, Korea has consistently led the world in suicides among advanced economies, with rates steadily hovering above 23 per 100,000 for the past decade. Patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia also face significantly higher mortality risks than the general population, underscoring the gravity of Korea’s mental health crisis. The mortality rate for people with bipolar disorder was 4.3 times higher than that of the general population, and for those with schizophrenia it was 4.9 times higher, outpacing the OECD average of 2.7 and 4.1 times, respectively.

The ministry also reported that Korea prescribed 25 defined daily doses (DDD) of antibiotics per 1,000 outpatients per day, the second-highest rate among OECD countries, where the average is 16 DDD. The DDD is a standardized measure of the daily amount of medicine consumed by an adult weighing 70 kilograms.

Prescriptions for benzodiazepines, antipsychotic medications and opioid painkillers, in contrast, remained below OECD averages among the elderly, suggesting more conservative use in these categories.

The long-term prescription rate of benzodiazepine-class drugs among adults aged 65 and older was 11.5 per 1,000 patients receiving any medication, lower than the OECD average of 27 per 1,000. These medicines require caution in older adults because prolonged use is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment and falls.

Meanwhile, chronic disease indicators show clearer progress. Hospitalization rates for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were 141 per 100,000 people, and for congestive heart failure the rate was 76 per 100,000 people, both lower than the OECD averages of 155 and 210, respectively.

Admission for diabetes stood at 159 per 100,000, still above the OECD average of 111 but much lower than the 319 per 100,000 in 2008, reflecting long-term gains in outpatient management and preventive care.

Acute care data highlights both strengths and areas for improvement. The 30-day in-hospital mortality rate after ischemic strokes was 3.3 percent in Korea, the lowest among members states and less than the half of the OECD average of 7.7 percent.

However, the 30-day mortality rate after acute myocardial infarction, 8.4 percent, remains higher than the OECD average of 6.5 percent despite steady improvement over the past decade.