Poverty and living standards in Incheon, South Korea: official figures
134,755 households in Incheon received National Basic Livelihood Security benefits in 2025, 6.7% of the 2,013,319 recipient households nationwide (5th highest of 17).
How many people living alone receive basic livelihood benefits in Incheon?
71.5% of recipient households in Incheon were one-person households (96,411 households), 4th lowest of 17 (national: 74.7%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow many older households receive basic livelihood benefits in Incheon?
Elderly households made up 27.2% of recipient households in Incheon in 2025 (36,669 households), 3rd lowest of 17 (national: 30.0%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow many disabled households receive basic livelihood benefits in Incheon?
9.4% of recipient households in Incheon were disabled households (12,733 households), the lowest of 17 (national: 11.5%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow many single-mother households receive basic livelihood benefits in Incheon?
Mother-and-child households were 12.5% of recipient households in Incheon in 2025 (16,849 households), 4th highest of 17 (national: 10.5%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow many households with no income receive basic livelihood benefits in Incheon?
29.2% of recipient households in Incheon had no recorded income in 2025 (39,348 households), 3rd highest of 17 (national: 26.8%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow long do households in Incheon stay on basic livelihood benefits?
17.4% of recipient households in Incheon had been receiving benefits for 10 years or more in 2025 (23,443 households), 5th lowest of 17 (national: 19.9%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow Incheon compares with other metropolitan cities
Households receiving basic livelihood benefits (2025)
Incheon ranks 5 of 17, highest first. Counts rise with population; see the share rankings on each region page for comparisons.
| Rank | Region | Households receiving basic livelihood benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Seoul | 347,628 |
| 3 | Busan | 190,214 |
| 4 | South Gyeongsang Province | 140,409 |
| 5 | Incheon | 134,755 |
| 6 | Daegu | 121,496 |
| 7 | North Gyeongsang Province | 119,240 |
| 8 | Jeonbuk State | 97,275 |
One-person households as a share of recipient households (2025)
Incheon ranks 14 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | One-person households as a share of recipient households |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Daejeon | 73.8% |
| 12 | Jeonbuk State | 73.4% |
| 13 | Gyeonggi Province | 73.2% |
| 14 | Incheon | 71.5% |
| 15 | Gwangju | 70.7% |
| 16 | Jeju Special Self-Governing Province | 70.6% |
| 17 | Sejong | 66.9% |
More on Incheon: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · South Korea
Sources
- Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS: National Basic Livelihood Security recipient households by province and household characteristics, 2025 (table DT_11714_N004), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 59fb13cf0bc8…)
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