Only 4 out of 10 Koreans "satisfied with life"... Last among 24 countries

South Korea Ranks Lowest in 'Life Satisfaction'
Also Lowest in 'Satisfaction with Domestic Situation'

A public opinion survey revealed that South Korea has the lowest life satisfaction level.

On the 30th (local time), the organizers of the Saudi Arabia Future Investment Initiative (FII) announced the results of a survey conducted from July 15 to 27, targeting 57,000 people aged 18 and over across 24 countries.

Reporter Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

When asked "Are you satisfied with your life?", South Korea had the lowest percentage of respondents answering "satisfied" at 39%, followed by T?rkiye (41%) and Japan (43%). Countries with high satisfaction levels included Saudi Arabia (84%), Egypt (81%), and India (76%).

Regarding satisfaction with their own country's situation, South Korea, France, and Argentina each ranked lowest at 14%. China (80%), Saudi Arabia (78%), and India (68%) had high percentages in this category.

The highest percentages of respondents who identified "cost of living" as the most important issue were T?rkiye (64%), Argentina (63%), Mexico (50%), and Indonesia (49%). South Korea ranked fifth at 47%. Conversely, India (20%), Germany (27%), C?te d'Ivoire (28%), Sweden (28%), and Poland (28%) placed relatively less emphasis on economic aspects.

The surveyed countries were selected with 12 countries each from the "Global North," referring mainly to developed countries in the Northern Hemisphere, and the "Global South," consisting of emerging and developing countries near the equator and in the Southern Hemisphere. Responses to each question were categorized into two groups: "satisfied" and "dissatisfied."

Meanwhile, South Korea's suicide rate remains the highest in the world. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the age-standardized suicide rate in South Korea was 24.8 per 100,000 people last year, ranking first among OECD countries. The gap with the second-ranked Lithuania (17.1 per 100,000 in 2022) is significant. The OECD average was 10.7.