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'No one to turn to': Number of 'solitary deaths' rose 7.2% in 2024

Published: 27 Nov. 2025, 16:06 Updated: 27 Nov. 2025, 16:31

People walk near the Nakwon Instrument Arcade in central Seoul on July 29. [YONHAP]

A man in his 50s who lived alone in a multi-unit house in Seoul was found dead in May last year when his landlord visited to collect overdue rent. He had no steady job and had been out of contact with family since divorcing about a decade earlier.

His case reflects a growing national trend. A total of 3,924 people in 2024 died alone after prolonged social isolation, often referred to as “solitary deaths.” The figure marks a 7.2 percent increase compared to 3,661 cases recorded in 2023.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare released the data on Thursday, based on its annual nationwide survey. By region, Gyeonggi reported the highest number of solitary deaths with 894 cases, accounting for 22.8 percent of the total. Seoul followed with 784 cases, or 20 percent, and Busan with 367, or 9.4 percent.

Men made up 81.7 percent of the total, with middle-aged and older men showing the highest rates. Men in their 60s accounted for the largest group, with 1,089 deaths, or 27.8 percent, followed by those in their 50s with 1,028, or 26.2 percent. The two groups represented more than half of all solitary death cases.

Most deaths occurred in residential settings. Single-family homes accounted for 1,920 cases, or 48.9 percent, followed by apartments with 774 and studio apartments with 769. While the share of cases in houses and apartments has declined over the past five years, the proportion in one-room units, motels and low-cost boarding houses has increased.

Landlords and building managers discovered the bodies in 1,692 cases, making up 43.1 percent of the total. Family members found the deceased in 1,044 cases, followed by neighbors in 470, social welfare workers in 301 and acquaintances in 280. The share of discoveries by landlords and social workers has risen, while that of family and friends has declined.

Older adult residents spend time at a community center in southern Seoul on April 25. [YONHAP]

Suicide accounted for 13.4 percent of all solitary deaths in 2024, slightly lower than the 14.1 percent recorded in 2023. The younger the deceased, the more likely suicide was involved. Among people in their 20s or younger, 57.4 percent of solitary deaths were the result of suicide. The rate was 43.3 percent for those in their 30s, 25.7 percent for those in their 40s and 13.5 percent for those in their 50s.

Of those who died, 1,462 people had received basic living assistance within the year before their death. That figure accounted for 39.1 percent of all cases, a share that has remained around 40 percent since 2020.

Experts point to several overlapping causes. These include the growth of one-person households and aging demographics, the weakening of in-person relationships due to digital communication, isolated residential environments, eroding community bonds and a shift to platform-based jobs after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The share of one-person households rose from 35.5 percent in 2023 to 36.1 percent in 2024," said Woo Kyung-mi, head of community welfare at the Health Ministry. "The increase in one-person households, which are more vulnerable to solitary death, likely contributed to the rise in cases."

People walk near the Nakwon Instrument Arcade in central Seoul on July 29. [YONHAP]

"A 2023 social survey found one in three adults aged 19 or older had no one to turn to for help, even when they needed it. That level of social isolation may have also contributed to the increase."

To respond, the Health Ministry plans to expand its policy focus to social isolation.

"The government designated a life-course social isolation response as a national policy task to prevent the rising number of solitary deaths and address social isolation," said Park Jae-man, welfare administration officer at the Health Ministry. “Starting next year, we will expand our policy scope to include social isolation. We will work to identify people at risk early and provide tailored support based on key characteristics at each stage of life.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY RHEE ESTHER [[email protected]]