Business · Economy · 2 hrs ago
Nearly half of owner-occupier households say their income is insufficient
South Korea’s 2025 Social Survey found that 46.7% of household heads living in their own homes felt their income was insufficient.
Only 17.7% said their income was comfortable, while 35.6% said it was about right.
The survey asked about the home people currently lived in, not whether they owned property, and half of household heads living in jeonse homes said their income was insufficient.
Jeonse is a Korean rental arrangement, and some people living in jeonse homes may also own another property.
Loan repayments, housing-related taxes and rising prices may help explain the strain felt by people living in their own homes.
Across all households, 51.7% said their income was insufficient and 15.6% said it was comfortable, showing that most household heads did not feel financially comfortable.
A 2025 government survey found that 46.7% of household heads living in homes they own said their income was insufficient.
Just 17.7% said their income gave them financial leeway, while 35.6% considered it adequate.
Among household heads living in jeonse housing, 50.1% said their income was insufficient and 15.8% said it gave them leeway.
The report cited loan repayments, housing-related taxes and rising prices as possible factors behind the responses.
The survey measured current housing arrangements, not whether respondents owned other homes.
- Who
- Household heads living in homes they own.
- What
- Nearly half said their income was insufficient; 17.7% said it gave them financial leeway.
- When
- The findings are from the 2025 Social Survey, reported on October 29, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Loan repayments, housing-related taxes and rising prices were cited as possible factors.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The share of household heads living in their own homes who said their income gave them leeway was 21.2%.
That share fell to 10.0%.
The Social Survey found that 17.7% of household heads living in their own homes said their income gave them leeway.
Maeil Business reported the survey findings.
- Insufficient income among owner-occupiers
- 46.7%
- Income with leeway among owner-occupiers
- 17.7%
- Income considered adequate among owner-occupiers
- 35.6%
- Insufficient income among jeonse residents
- 50.1%
- Income with leeway among jeonse residents
- 15.8%