South Korea's Life Expectancy Reaches Record 83.7 Years, But Physician Numbers Lag

South Korea's life expectancy has reached a record high of 83.7 years, placing it among the top countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). However, the number of clinical physicians remains the second lowest in OECD nations, while the per capita outpatient visits and hospital bed counts are the highest, indicating a persistent imbalance in healthcare resources.
 
The Ministry of Health and Welfare released an analysis on July 23 of key indicators from the OECD's 'Health Statistics 2026,' published on July 7.
 
According to the analysis, South Korea's life expectancy of 83.7 years exceeds the OECD average of 81.2 years by 2.5 years. The avoidable mortality rate, which refers to deaths that could be prevented through timely medical intervention, stands at 139.0 per 100,000 people, significantly lower than the OECD average of 208.8, reflecting the overall high standard of healthcare in the country.

In contrast, the suicide mortality rate for 2023 is 24.8 per 100,000 people, a slight increase from the previous year, marking the highest rate among OECD countries.

An examination of healthcare resource indicators reveals a stark imbalance between personnel and facilities. As of 2024, the number of clinical physicians, including traditional medicine practitioners, is just 2.6 per 1,000 people, making South Korea the second lowest in the OECD, following Costa Rica (1.7). The number of medical graduates is also among the lowest, at 7.3 per 100,000 people.
 
Conversely, the utilization of medical services and the scale of equipment are at world-leading levels. South Koreans have the highest annual outpatient visits per capita in the OECD, averaging 17.9, which is approximately 2.7 times the OECD average of 6.6. The number of hospital beds is also the highest, with 12.5 per 1,000 people, three times the OECD average of 4.2. Additionally, there are 46.7 computed tomography (CT) machines and 39.3 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines per million people, far exceeding the OECD averages.

In terms of healthcare expenditure, the current medical expenses account for 8.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP), slightly below the OECD average of 9.3%. However, the annual growth rate of per capita medical expenses is 8.5%, surpassing the OECD average of 6.1%, indicating a rapid increase over the past decade.
 
In terms of health risk factors contributing to chronic diseases, South Korea performed well. The proportion of overweight and obese individuals aged 15 and older is 37.3%, the second lowest after Japan (25.3%).
 
Yoon Shin, Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "OECD health statistics are representative national statistics calculated based on common standards among countries, providing an objective analysis and evaluation of South Korea's healthcare level, which serves as a crucial basis for government policies. We will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with international organizations and enhance quality management to actively utilize relevant statistics across various policy areas."