2024 Health Report for Gwangju Citizens
Lung Cancer Mortality Rate Up 32% Year-on-Year
Life Expectancy at 84.3 Years, High-Risk Drinking Rate at 14.3%
Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease Mortality Rates Decrease
In 2023, the mortality rates due to diabetes and Alzheimer's disease decreased in the Gwangju area, but the mortality rate from lung cancer increased significantly.
According to Chonnam National University Hospital on the 3rd, the Gwangju Public Healthcare Support Group (headed by Professor Kwon Soonseok of Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital), which is operated by the hospital on commission, published the "2024 Health Status of Gwangju Citizens" report. This report compiles statistical indicators on population dynamics, health outcomes, health behaviors, and medical utilization among Gwangju citizens.
According to the report, the overall crude death rate in Gwangju in 2023 was 624.1 per 100,000 people, a decrease of 4.5% (29.2 people) compared to the previous year. The leading causes of death were cancer (149.4), pneumonia (72.1), heart disease (51.2), cerebrovascular disease (36.3), and suicide (27.3), in that order.
Notably, while pneumonia ranks third nationwide after cancer and heart disease, in Gwangju, the pneumonia mortality rate increased by 32% (17.5 people) compared to 2022, making it the second leading cause of death. The mortality rates for Alzheimer's disease and diabetes decreased by 46.6% (12.8 people) and 32% (6.5 people), respectively.
The life expectancy of Gwangju citizens was 84.3 years, ranking fourth among the seven special and metropolitan cities, 1.5 years lower than Seoul (85.8 years). The life expectancy gap according to income level (difference between the 1st and 5th quintiles) was 8.7 years. Among the five administrative districts, Dong-gu had the largest life expectancy gap (10.0 years), while Nam-gu had the smallest (7.8 years).
In terms of health behavior indicators, the current smoking rate was 18.3% overall and 33.1% for men, ranking second among the seven special and metropolitan cities after Seoul.
The high-risk drinking rate among annual drinkers was 14.3%, the obesity rate was 29.2%, and the walking practice rate was 45.0%, with the walking practice rate being the lowest among the seven special and metropolitan cities.
The indicator with the largest gap in health behavior practice rates among the five administrative districts was the walking practice rate, with Gwangsan-gu (37.8%) being 26.3 percentage points lower than Nam-gu (64.1%). The current smoking rate, male current smoking rate, and high-risk drinking rate among annual drinkers were all highest in Seo-gu and lowest in Dong-gu.
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