Elderly long-term care recipients surpass 1.2 million in South Korea amid aging population

South Korea's aging population is placing a significant strain on its social welfare system, with the number of individuals receiving long-term care insurance exceeding 1.2 million. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) reported that the number of approved recipients reached 1,235,045 as of 2025, a 6% increase from the previous year.

This surge in demand has led to a substantial increase in expenditure, with a total of 17.7 trillion won spent on long-term care services. Home-based care services received the largest share of this funding, amounting to 10.19 trillion won, followed by facility-based care at 5.95 trillion won. The average monthly cost per recipient was approximately 1.54 million won.

The infrastructure supporting these services has also expanded considerably. There are now nearly 30,000 long-term care institutions across the country, with the majority being home-care providers. The workforce in this sector has grown to over 726,000 individuals, predominantly care workers, but also including social workers, nurses, and therapists.

Despite the rising costs, the long-term care insurance premiums remain relatively modest. The average monthly premium per household was 17,744 won, and per individual, it was 10,393 won, with a collection rate of 99.4% for the previous year.