Poverty and living standards in Gwangju, South Korea: official figures
70,547 households in Gwangju received National Basic Livelihood Security benefits in 2025, 3.5% of the 2,013,319 recipient households nationwide (7th lowest of 17).
How many people living alone receive basic livelihood benefits in Gwangju?
70.7% of recipient households in Gwangju were one-person households (49,843 households), 3rd 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 Gwangju?
Elderly households made up 25.8% of recipient households in Gwangju in 2025 (18,220 households), 2nd 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 Gwangju?
13.0% of recipient households in Gwangju were disabled households (9,180 households), 8th highest 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 Gwangju?
Mother-and-child households were 14.0% of recipient households in Gwangju in 2025 (9,868 households), the 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 Gwangju?
31.5% of recipient households in Gwangju had no recorded income in 2025 (22,228 households), the highest of 17 (national: 26.8%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow long do households in Gwangju stay on basic livelihood benefits?
21.5% of recipient households in Gwangju had been receiving benefits for 10 years or more in 2025 (15,168 households), 8th highest of 17 (national: 19.9%).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, published on KOSIS · saved copyHow Gwangju compares with other metropolitan cities
Households receiving basic livelihood benefits (2025)
Gwangju ranks 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Jeonbuk State | 97,275 |
| 9 | South Jeolla Province | 82,610 |
| 10 | South Chungcheong Province | 73,997 |
| 11 | Gwangju | 70,547 |
| 12 | Gangwon State | 66,573 |
| 13 | North Chungcheong Province | 61,289 |
| 14 | Daejeon | 59,045 |
One-person households as a share of recipient households (2025)
Gwangju ranks 15 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 Gwangju: 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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