Recent surveys indicate that residents of Jeonnam have experienced a steady increase in life satisfaction over the past four years. While positive perceptions of marriage and children have risen, challenges remain in the medical sector, particularly regarding wait times for treatment and a shortage of specialized medical personnel.
The Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City announced the results of the '2026 Jeollanam-do Social Survey' on the 24th.
The survey was conducted from March 6 to 18, targeting 19,116 households with members aged 15 and older in the Jeonnam region. It examined residents' living conditions and social needs across 12 categories, including family, income, consumption, labor, education, and health care.
The results showed that life satisfaction scored 6.9 out of 10, an increase from 6.6 in 2022 and 6.8 in 2024, marking a 0.1-point rise this year.
The proportion of respondents expressing positive feelings about their 'satisfaction with life,' 'satisfaction with local living conditions,' and 'frequency of happiness' also increased compared to the 2024 survey.
In the family category, there was a slight increase in positive perceptions of marriage and children. The response rate for 'marriage is necessary' rose to 60.6%, up 0.8 percentage points from 2024, while the belief that 'having children is important' increased by 1.3 percentage points to 66.5%.
The number of first marriages also showed an upward trend, with first marriages in Jeonnam rising from 4,279 in 2023 to 5,246 in 2024, and reaching 5,523 last year.
In the income and consumption category, the consumer price index was recorded at 117.54 last year. The inflation rate decreased from 3.5% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024, and further to 2.2% last year, indicating a slowdown in price increases.
In education, both private education expenses and participation rates declined. Last year, the average monthly private education expense per student in Jeonnam was 309,000 won, down 11,000 won from the previous year. The participation rate in private education also fell by 3.6 percentage points to 68.1%, with both expenses and participation rates below the national average.
Among school levels, the average monthly private education expense was highest for general high school students at 342,000 won, while elementary school students had the highest participation rate at 80.7%.
In the health and medical sector, the number of medical institutions and personnel increased, and service satisfaction saw a slight rise. Last year, the number of medical institutions grew by eight, and the number of medical personnel increased by 433. This year, satisfaction with medical services reached 3.5 points, up 0.1 points from 2024.
However, the main factors contributing to dissatisfaction with medical services were 'waiting times for treatment and hospitalization,' which accounted for 22.9%, followed by 'shortage of specialized medical personnel' at 13.9%. Although satisfaction with medical services has improved, reducing wait times and increasing the number of specialized medical personnel remain critical issues to address.
Son Myung-do, the policy planning director of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, stated, "The results of the social survey indicate an overall improvement in residents' quality of life, but there are still challenges that need to be addressed at the integrated special city level, such as improving medical services. We will use residents' feedback as foundational data for policy development to implement policies that the local community can truly feel."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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