Improvements in Health, Housing, Transportation, and Environmental Indicators
Income Satisfaction and Long-Term Residency Remain Challenges
The overall quality of life perceived by residents of Chungnam Province has improved. Satisfaction levels regarding key social indicators such as health, housing, transportation, environment, and safety have risen compared to last year, indicating better living conditions.
However, satisfaction with income and the intention to reside long-term have slightly declined, prompting calls for policy improvements.
On December 29, Chungnam Province announced the results of the "2025 Chungnam Social Survey," which was conducted across 12 areas with 15,000 households in the province between May and June.
The survey found that most social indicators perceived by residents increased compared to the previous year.
In the area of social integration, overall life satisfaction scored 6.59 out of 10, up 0.06 points from the previous year. This indicator has shown a steady upward trend over the past seven years.
In the health sector, satisfaction with medical services in the province rose by 0.15 points to 6.39 compared to the previous year.
However, when asked about dissatisfaction with medical services, the most common response was "long waiting times for consultations and hospitalizations" at 26.9%, followed by "lack of professional expertise among medical staff" at 25.4%.
Positive changes were also observed in the family sector. Satisfaction with family relationships increased in most categories compared to the previous year, with satisfaction with spousal relationships reaching 81.2%, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous year.
When asked to define "family," the most common perception was "an intimate relationship with a sense of psychological connection."
In the education sector, satisfaction with public education was mixed. Satisfaction with the elementary school educational environment remained unchanged at 6.72, while middle school satisfaction rose by 0.07 points.
In contrast, high school satisfaction dropped by 0.11 points to 5.82. Satisfaction with the childcare environment for preschool children also slightly decreased to 6.93 compared to the previous year.
In the labor sector, overall job satisfaction rose by 0.07 points to 6.17 compared to the previous year. Among women aged 25 to 54, 43.9% had experienced career interruptions, with pregnancy and childbirth accounting for more than half of the reasons.
The income and consumption sector showed mixed trends. Income satisfaction fell by 0.13 points to 4.95, but satisfaction with consumption life increased to 5.10, continuing an upward trend over the past five years.
Satisfaction with the residential environment increased to 6.07 compared to the previous year. Satisfaction with the housing itself was relatively high, but satisfaction with parking facilities received the lowest score at 5.49.
12.0% of respondents said they planned to move to another city or province within the next two years, with "work" being the most common reason. The intention to continue living in Chungnam over the next 10 years scored 7.05, a slight decrease from the previous year.
In the transportation sector, satisfaction with public transportation rose by 0.22 points to 5.79 compared to the previous year. However, satisfaction with city buses and local village buses remained relatively low.
In the environment sector, overall environmental perception increased to 5.87, and in the safety sector, social safety awareness improved to 6.09. Satisfaction with leisure activities also increased compared to the previous year, and the most common type of information accessed about Chungnam was related to daily convenience.
An official from the province stated, "This social survey is a key indicator that comprehensively shows the lives and perceptions of residents. We will thoroughly analyze the results and connect them to policies that residents can truly feel in their daily lives."
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