Interpersonal belief amongst youth has declined by 20 proportion factors over the previous decade. Solely 3 out of 10 younger persons are happy with their jobs and earnings, and life satisfaction stays within the backside tier amongst Group for Financial Cooperation and Growth (OECD) international locations.
The Nationwide Statistics Analysis Institute (NSRI) underneath the Nationwide Information Company introduced the 2025 Youth High quality of Life Report containing these findings on Dec. 16. That is the primary report back to comprehensively analyze the general high quality of life amongst youth. It examined 62 indicators throughout 12 areas together with well being, leisure, employment, wages, belief, equity, and housing.
Probably the most notable discovering is that interpersonal belief amongst individuals of their 20s (19-29 years outdated) and 30s (30-39 years outdated) each reached 74.8% in 2014, however declined to 53.2% and 54.7% respectively final yr. Whereas interpersonal belief throughout all age teams additionally decreased from 73.6% to 55.6% throughout this era, the decline was a lot steeper amongst youth. This means that social mistrust amongst younger individuals unfold notably quickly by COVID-19. An official from the analysis institute defined, “Interpersonal belief is a vital indicator for younger people who find themselves in a interval of increasing social relationships, however it has been deteriorating lately.”
The discovering is in distinction with the case of the member international locations of the European Union. In keeping with a report revealed by Eurostat in January 2025, amongst particular age teams, the best ranges of belief in others had been mostly reported by individuals aged 16 to 29 within the majority of EU international locations. This development was noticed in 15 international locations. In 5 international locations, nonetheless, people aged 65 and older reported greater belief in contrast with different age teams, notably in Finland.
The Eurostat report says that in 2023, the estimated common ranking of belief in others amongst individuals aged 16 and older within the EU stood at 5.8 (on a scale from 0 “don’t belief in any respect” to 10 “belief fully”). On the nationwide stage, notable variations had been noticed among the many inhabitants aged 16 years or over, with ranking raging from 7.3 in Finland to three.6 in Cyprus.
In keeping with the NSRI report, as of 2023, solely 36% of Korean younger wageworkers had been typically happy with their jobs, remaining within the 30% vary. Youth earnings satisfaction was additionally solely 27.7%. Nonetheless, this was greater than double the extent from 10 years earlier in 2013 (12.8%).
Financial dissatisfaction seems to result in psychological disaster. Final yr, the youth suicide price was 24.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, a rise of 1.3 from the earlier yr. Hope for sophistication mobility was additionally restricted. Solely 27.7% believed they might enhance their social and financial standing by private effort. Total life satisfaction amongst youth (15-29 years outdated) was 6.50 factors out of 10. In keeping with the OECD’s World Happiness Report, South Korea’s youth life satisfaction (2021-2023 common) ranked thirty first amongst 38 OECD international locations.
Final yr, the youth inhabitants (19-34 years outdated) was 10.404 million, accounting for 20.1% of the whole inhabitants. The youth inhabitants ratio has been constantly declining from 28.0% in 2000. The proportion of younger individuals dwelling alone has steadily risen from 6.7% in 2000 to 25.8% in 2024.
