China News Service, December 20th, a comprehensive report, a report recently released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea showed that the number of "lonely deaths" in South Korea in 2021 will be 3,378, the highest in five years, an increase of 40% from 2017.
As the number of "lonely deaths" in South Korea continues to rise, the phenomenon has drawn national attention.
South Korea's "Lonely Death Prevention Act" came into effect in April last year.
The law defines "lonely death" as "the death of a long-term solitary person who has cut off contact with family and friends, quietly commits suicide or dies of illness and is only discovered after many days."
According to Yonhap News Agency, the number of lonely deaths in South Korea meeting this definition will be 3,378 in 2021, accounting for 1% of the total number of deaths.
The number of lonely deaths from 2017 to 2020 was 2,412, 3,048, 2,949, and 3,279, respectively.
Middle-aged and older men are at greatest risk of dying alone, the data showed.
5.3 times as many men as women died alone last year.
Among them, people in their 50s and 60s accounted for about 60% of the number of lonely deaths, people in their 40s and 70s also accounted for a large proportion, and people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 6% to 8%.
However, the report did not disclose the factors leading to this phenomenon.
According to a report by CNN, a 2021 study concluded that when middle-aged and elderly people face exclusion in the labor and real estate markets, it may lead to a rapid deterioration of their quality of life, which in turn increases the risk they face. The risk of dying alone.
The findings echo the above-mentioned South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare report that many high-risk groups of lonely deaths are dissatisfied with life due to unemployment or divorce, especially when they experience "rustiness with national health care, or lack of self-care ability." "Time.