Basic pension recipient rate falls for 4th straight year as senior population outpaces recipients

The number of people receiving South Korea's basic pension, a benefit paid to those 65 and older whose income falls within the bottom 70 percent, surpassed 7 million for the first time last year.

But because the senior population is growing faster than the number of recipients amid the country's rapid aging, the share of elderly people receiving the pension has fallen for four consecutive years.

The annual basic pension payout climbed to nearly 25 trillion won ($18.6 billion), and the amount deducted from couples when both partners receive the pension expanded to 2.4 trillion won.

According to basic pension recipient data the Ministry of Health and Welfare submitted to Rep. Kim Seon-min's office Wednesday, the number of basic pension recipients totaled about 7.066 million as of the end of 2025.

The recipient count rose steadily from about 5.973 million in 2021 to about 6.238 million in 2022, about 6.509 million in 2023 and about 6.758 million in 2024, before topping 7 million for the first time in 2025.

But as South Korea entered a super-aged society, the growth of the senior population outpaced the growth in recipients, causing the recipient rate to decline.

The population aged 65 and older grew from about 8.835 million in 2021 to about 9.25 million in 2022 and about 9.712 million in 2023, before breaking the 10 million mark at about 10.236 million in 2024. It then rose further to about 10.818 million in 2025.

As a result, the basic pension recipient rate, which stood at 67.6 percent in 2021, slipped to 67.5 percent in 2022, 67.0 percent in 2023 and 66.0 percent in 2024, before falling further to 65.3 percent in 2025.

Over the four-year period, the senior population grew 22.4 percent, while the number of pension recipients grew only 18.3 percent, pulling the recipient rate down by 2.3 percentage points.

By household type, the increase was more pronounced among recipients in couple households than those living alone. The number of single-person household recipients rose by 465,000, from about 2.913 million in 2021 to about 3.378 million in 2025.

By contrast, the number of recipients in couple households rose by 628,000 over the same period, from about 3.06 million to about 3.688 million, a larger increase.

Within couple households, the number of cases in which only one spouse received the pension rose modestly, from 496,000 in 2021 to 547,000 in 2025. Meanwhile, the number of cases in which both spouses received the pension jumped by 575,000, from about 2.565 million in 2021 to about 3.14 million in 2025, driving most of the overall increase among couple households.

As the number of recipients grew, the total amount of basic pension paid out each year also expanded sharply.

Combined annual basic pension payouts rose from 18.8 trillion won in 2021 to 20.1 trillion won in 2022, crossing the 20 trillion won mark. They climbed further to 22 trillion won in 2023 and 23.5 trillion won in 2024, before reaching 24.9 trillion won in 2025, an increase of 6.1 trillion won from 2021.

Of the 24.9 trillion won paid out in 2025, 13.4 trillion won went to single-person households and 11.5 trillion won went to couple households.

Within couple household payouts, the amount paid to households where both spouses received the pension accounted for the bulk at 9.6 trillion won, while payouts to households where only one spouse received it totaled 2 trillion won. This compares with 2021, when single-person households received 10.2 trillion won and couple households received 8.6 trillion won (1.6 trillion won for single-recipient couples and 7 trillion won for dual-recipient couples), with spending expanding across every household type all at once.

As the scale of basic pension payments grew, the total amount deducted under the couple deduction system also rose consistently each year. Under the system, when both spouses in a couple qualify for and receive the pension, each person's payment is reduced by 20 percent.

Combined annual couple deduction amounts rose from 1.8 trillion won in 2021 to 1.9 trillion won in 2022 and 2.1 trillion won in 2023, crossing the 2 trillion won mark. The figure climbed further to 2.3 trillion won in 2024 and 2.4 trillion won in 2025. Over the four years, the total deduction amount alone grew by 600 billion won.