In 2024, Korean households received an average of 9.26 million won in social transfers in kind, enabling them to access services such as healthcare and education. This represented 12.5% of the average household income. While the medical sector increased due to a growing elderly population, the education sector decreased due to a decline in student numbers. Households with more members saw a higher proportion allocated to education and childcare. Furthermore, low-income households showed a greater reliance on social transfers in kind. Social transfers in kind contributed to mitigating income inequality by lowering the Gini coefficient and reducing the relative poverty rate.
