South Korea, 20 Years of Shame with Highest Suicide Rate in OECD
South Korea has recorded the highest suicide rate among the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for 20 consecutive years since 2003.
According to the 'OECD Health Statistics 2025' announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 30th of last month, the suicide mortality rate in South Korea was reported to be 23.2 per 100,000 people as of 2022.
This figure is more than double the OECD average of 10.7, indicating that South Korea bears the disgrace of being ranked first in suicide rates among OECD countries for 20 consecutive years. Fortunately, the rate of decline in suicides is faster than the OECD average.
The country's suicide rate has decreased by 23.4%, from 30.3 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 23.2 in 2022. During the same period, the OECD average decreased from 12.8 to 10.7, a reduction of 16.4%.
Increased Life Expectancy but Insufficient Medical Personnel
On the other hand, the life expectancy of South Koreans is projected to be 83.5 years in 2023, which is 2.4 years higher than the OECD average of 81.1 years.
Life expectancy refers to the number of years a newborn is expected to live and continues to rise for South Koreans.
However, the state of healthcare personnel remains insufficient.
As of 2023, the number of clinical doctors (including traditional Korean medicine practitioners) per 1,000 people in South Korea is 2.7, making it the second lowest among OECD countries after Japan.
Graduates in medical fields (including traditional Korean medicine but excluding dentistry) also recorded the third lowest rate at 7.4 per 100,000 people.
Nursing personnel, at 9.5 per 1,000 people, have not reached the OECD average of 9.7, but the number of nursing graduates is 46.0 per 100,000 people, exceeding the OECD average of 35.0. This could indicate a potential improvement in nursing personnel supply in the future.
Interestingly, the number of hospital beds stands at 12.6 per 1,000 people, nearly three times the OECD average of 4.2, making it the highest among member countries.
This suggests that while South Korea has sufficient medical infrastructure in terms of physical facilities, there is still a need for improvement in human resources.
※ If you or someone around you is facing difficult thoughts such as depression, you can receive 24-hour counseling from professionals by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109 or through SNS counseling at Madlan (www.129.go.kr/109/etc/madlan).
※ If you or someone around you is facing difficult thoughts such as depression, you can receive 24-hour counseling from professionals by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109 or through SNS counseling at Madlan (www.129.go.kr/109/etc/madlan).
Image source: Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Reference photos for understanding the article / News1
