There Is a Wealth Gap in Loneliness Too... Those Earning Less Than 1 Million Won a Month Feel 1.7 Times Lonelier Than High-Income Earners

The Highest Proportion Reporting They "Often Feel Lonely"

The degree to which people feel loneliness shows significant differences depending on income level.

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According to the "2025 Social Survey" by the National Data Agency and the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) released on March 2, 2026, a clear trend was observed among South Koreans aged 13 and older in 2025: the lower the income, the higher the proportion of respondents who answered that they "usually feel lonely."

The perceived loneliness rate among households with an average monthly income of less than 1 million won was 57.6%. This figure is about 20 percentage points higher than the overall average of 38.2%. Compared to high-income households earning 6 million won or more per month (33.0%), the rate was approximately 1.7 times higher.

Among households earning less than 1 million won per month, 12.0% responded that they "often feel lonely." This was the highest among all income brackets. Even when compared to households with a monthly income of 1 million to 2 million won (6.6%), the rate was about twice as high.

Additionally, 45.6% of households earning less than 1 million won per month said they "sometimes feel lonely."

Within the lowest income group, the proportion experiencing loneliness repeatedly rather than as a temporary feeling was relatively high. Furthermore, as income increased, the proportion of respondents who said they felt lonely declined step by step: 44.9% for households earning 1 million to less than 2 million won; 39.7% for 2 million to less than 3 million won; 36.7% for 3 million to less than 4 million won; and 36.7% for 4 million to less than 5 million won.

Some analysts interpret these results as indicating that economic conditions may influence social connectedness and emotional stability to some extent.

Satisfaction with personal relationships also differed by income. The proportion of respondents who said they were satisfied with their relationships increased with income: 37.8% for households earning less than 1 million won; 44.1% for 1 million to less than 2 million won; 50.1% for 2 million to less than 3 million won; 55.6% for 3 million to less than 4 million won; 55.8% for 4 million to less than 5 million won; and 61.0% for 5 million to less than 6 million won.

Meanwhile, the lowest income bracket includes a large number of elderly people, such as single seniors who are excluded from economic activities after retirement, leading to analyses that elderly poverty is directly connected to severe social isolation. Looking at perceived loneliness by age group, the oldest age groups reported the highest rates: 41.7% in their 50s; 39.5% in their 60s; 41.7% in their 70s; and 52.2% among those aged 80 or older. While the rate hovers around 40% up to the 70s, it jumps to over half among those aged 80 and above.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.