Middle-aged Koreans report highest stress levels, shifting from younger groups

gettyimagesbank

People in their 40s recorded the highest levels of stress in daily life among adults, marking a shift away from younger generations as economic pressures and workplace competition weigh more heavily on middle-aged Koreans.

This generational shift reflects a broader socioeconomic reality, as the anxieties of midlife — compounded by stagnant wages and rising household debt — have eclipsed the pressures once felt mainly by younger Koreans entering the workforce.

According to 2024 data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday, from an annual survey of about 10,000 people, 25.9 percent of respondents age 19 and older said they feel “very much” or “much” stress in daily life — a level similar to the 25.5 percent recorded in 2014.

Among age groups, people in their 40s recorded the highest stress rate at 35.1 percent — more than eight percentage points higher than in 2014. Those in their 30s followed at 34.7 percent, while adults ages 19 to 29 recorded 30.3 percent.

In the 2014 survey, people in their 30s had reported the highest stress level at 34 percent, followed by those ages 19 to 29 at 28.9 percent.

By gender, women reported higher stress levels than men, at 28.6 percent compared with 23.3 percent. Among men, those in their 40s recorded the highest rate at 36.3 percent, while among women, the highest rate was among those in their 30s at 41.5 percent.

The workplace was the main source of stress, cited by 46.6 percent of men in their 40s and by 28.2 percent of women in their 30s. Among women in their 40s, however, concerns about parents or children were the top stress factor at 27.6 percent, compared with just 4.2 percent of men in their 40s citing them as their main source of stress.

Experts say rising stress among middle-aged adults reflects a more psychologically uncertain workplace environment than in the past.

“In the past, working hard was often enough to support a family, but that is far more difficult today,” said Lim Myung-ho, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Dankook University. “The economy has become more challenging, job stability is harder to ensure and fears of AI (artificial intelligence)-driven job losses are growing. Workplace competition is also far more intense than a decade ago.”

Lim added that the high level of stress women experience over parents and children is also closely tied to competition.

“In Korea, issues such as raising children and responsibilities involving parents or in-laws tend to be far more competitive and demanding than in many other countries,” Lim said.