South Korea ranked 19th among 38 OECD member countries in the organization's Better Life Index (BLI), one of the most widely cited international measures of quality of life.

The country posted top-tier scores in housing and education but fell to the bottom of the rankings in labor conditions and subjective well-being, reflecting sharp variation across categories.

According to a report released Monday by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs — published in its Health and Welfare Issue & Focus series under the title "Trends and Implications of the OECD Better Life Index" — South Korea's overall BLI score was 5.99, placing it 19th out of 38 OECD nations.

OECD Better Life Index indicators, as reconstructed by the report's authors. [Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Health and Welfare Issue & Focus, "Trends and Implications of the OECD Better Life Index (BLI)"]
OECD Better Life Index indicators, as reconstructed by the report's authors. [Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Health and Welfare Issue & Focus, "Trends and Implications of the OECD Better Life Index (BLI)"]

South Korea performed well or ranked near the top in housing (1st), knowledge and skills (2nd), environmental quality (8th) and civic engagement (9th).

Standout results included the share of the population exposed to extreme heat (0 percent, tied for 1st), the ratio of household disposable income after housing costs (84.83 percent, 2nd), average PISA mathematics scores (527.3 points, 2nd), the share of low-achieving students (7.29 percent, 3rd) and life expectancy at birth (83.5 years, 5th).

At the other end of the scale, South Korea ranked near the bottom in subjective well-being (35th), labor (36th) and social connections (37th).

The country finished last among all 38 OECD members in two indicators: the gender pay gap — with women's median wages 28.95 percent below men's — and lack of social support, with 20.64 percent of respondents saying they have no one to rely on in times of difficulty.

Other low-ranking indicators included life satisfaction (6.5 points, 36th), the share of workers putting in more than 50 paid hours per week (13.69 percent, 34th), deaths of despair — defined as deaths from suicide, alcohol and drug overdose — per 100,000 people (27.97, 31st) and negative affect balance (14.85 percent, 29th).

The BLI framework captures not only society-wide averages but also measures of vertical and horizontal inequality and deprivation. Indicators include the income quintile ratio, the gender pay gap, housing overcrowding rates, deaths of despair and the share of low-achieving students.

Jung Hae-sik, a research fellow at the institute, said the core message of the revised OECD BLI is that beyond average progress, policymakers must confront the question of whose lives are actually improving. "Monitoring of quality-of-life indicators should be made routine so that we can continuously check whether policy implementation is translating into measurable outcomes and improvements in people's felt well-being, and adjust plans accordingly," he said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com