The subjective life satisfaction felt by Koreans last year averaged 6.9 out of 10 points, according to a recent survey. Satisfaction was relatively low among individuals in their 30s and those aged 70 and older compared to other age groups, and tended to increase with higher income levels. However, alongside the "loneliness experience rate," which was included as a survey item for the first time last year, the rates of perceived stress and experiences of depression were highest among women in their 30s, highlighting the need for greater attention to their mental health.

On the 30th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) released the main results of the '2025 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).' Conducted annually, KNHANES assesses the health and nutritional status of Koreans to serve as an evidentiary basis for establishing health policies. Last year, the survey examined chronic diseases and health behaviors of 10,000 individuals across 192 regions nationwide.

According to the results, respondents gave an average score of 6.9 when asked about their subjective life satisfaction. By gender, men averaged 7 points, slightly higher than women (6.9 points). By age group, those in their 70s reported the lowest satisfaction at 6.6 points for both men and women. Looking at generational breakdowns, the proportion of respondents who rated their subjective life satisfaction as low (4 points or below) was highest among those in their 30s. Among people in their 30s, 12.2% rated their life satisfaction at 4 points or below, while 11.9% of those aged 70 and older did the same. Among those in their 20s, 10.9% reported a life satisfaction score of 4 points or lower.

Life satisfaction also varied according to income. The lowest income bracket ("low") reported the lowest score at 6.4 points, whereas the highest income bracket ("high") reported a higher score of 7.3 points. Low-income earners also had a high proportion of respondents rating their life satisfaction at 4 points or below. Specifically, 16.9% of the lowest income bracket gave low scores—more than double the 6.8% recorded in the highest income bracket. In particular, nearly 1 in 5 men (18.5%) in the lowest income bracket reported low life satisfaction.

The "loneliness experience rate"—the proportion of people who reported always or frequently feeling lonely in their daily lives—was higher among women (7.5%) than men (5.3%), peaking notably among women in their 30s (9.7%). Both life satisfaction and loneliness were indicators included in the survey for the first time last year.

Women in their 30s also showed relatively high levels of stress and depression. Their perceived stress rate stood at 29.2%, significantly higher than the lowest rate observed among men aged 70 and older (5.7%). The prevalence of depression experiences, which is surveyed biennially, was also highest among women in their 30s (12.9%) and lowest among men aged 70 and older (3.4%). The perceived stress rate measures the proportion of individuals who feel very or extremely stressed in daily life, while the depression experience rate refers to cases where individuals felt continuously sad or hopeless to the extent that it interfered with their daily work for two weeks or more over the past year. Meanwhile, the overall perceived stress rate and depression experience rate across all respondents hit their lowest levels in a decade, dropping sharply compared to 2024 (29% and 11.6%, respectively) to 19.1% and 7.4%.

Regarding chronic diseases, a notable increase in obesity was observed among men. While the overall average obesity prevalence across all age groups for men was 49.1%, more than half of men in their 30s to 50s were obese (30s: 59%, 40s: 53.3%, 50s: 54%). In particular, obesity rates for men in their 30s and 50s surged significantly, rising by 9.9 percentage points and 5.9 percentage points, respectively. In contrast, the average obesity prevalence for women stood at 28.7%, with women in their 20s recording the lowest rate at 21.3% and those aged 70 and older recording the highest at 38.6%. Instead, women showed a high prevalence of underweight, particularly among women in their 20s (19.9%). The overall underweight prevalence was 2.4% for men and 9.5% for women.

A detailed statistical report containing the full results of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey will be released on the official KNHANES website in December.

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