Koreans spend 213,000 won a month on health — less than two years ago

Koreans are increasingly focused on stress and sleep as health priorities, but their actual mental health practices are not keeping pace, a new report shows. Many respondents said they lack the time and mental space to care for their wellbeing, and only one in four said they are spending enough on wellness.

According to the "2026 Korea Wellness Report" published Sunday by KB Financial's management research institute, actual spending on health care has fallen from two years ago. Average monthly health spending per person reached 213,000 won ($161), down 6,000 won from 2024. Respondents spent 81,000 won on exercise and 74,000 won on health supplements, while 44,000 won went toward treatment for chronic conditions. Mental health counseling accounted for just 15,000 won. Exercise and supplements together made up more than 70 percent of total health spending.

"South Korea ranks among the world's top nations in healthy life expectancy, yet life satisfaction has not kept up," the KB Financial research institute said. "The time has come to move beyond simply living longer and to discuss health in its entirety — encompassing the body, the mind and social relationships."

Sleep topped the list of health concerns this year, cited by 54.0 percent of respondents, followed by stress management at 51.9 percent. Diet management ranked third at 44.3 percent.

The shift from two years ago was pronounced. In 2024, stress management ranked third at 46.6 percent, trailing diet management at 47.0 percent, but it climbed 5.3 percentage points to second place this year. Diet management, meanwhile, slipped 2.7 percentage points. Interest in sleep also rose 5.6 percentage points over the same period, from 48.4 percent to 54.0 percent.

Concern, however, has not translated into action. While 90.7 percent of respondents identified mental health as a component of wellness — more than the 87.1 percent who cited physical health — only 35.7 percent said they actively manage their mental health. That was 14.9 percentage points below the 50.6 percent who said they manage their physical health.

Direct "mind-care" activities were even less common. Only 26.3 percent said they had engaged in such activities in the past year, far below diet management and supplement intake at 66.6 percent, exercise at 63.9 percent, social activities at 62.8 percent and hobbies at 60.7 percent. The share who said they want to increase mind-care activities going forward was also the lowest among all activities surveyed, at 26.7 percent.

Many respondents said they simply do not have the breathing room to tend to their mental health. Among those dissatisfied with their mental wellness, 50.1 percent cited excessive stress, while 42.7 percent said it was hard to find mental space. Another 23.5 percent said other priorities came first, and 22.2 percent said they struggle to get adequate rest or sleep. Some 10.6 percent said they lack the time to manage their mental health at all.

The burden weighed particularly heavily on people in their 40s. Dissatisfaction with mental wellness was highest in that age group at 26.7 percent. The share who said they had experienced persistent fatigue that did not ease even after sufficient rest in the past month was also highest among those in their 40s, at 59.4 percent.

Financial pressures added to the strain. Only 24.6 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their current financial situation, while 37.7 percent said they were not. Some 35.0 percent said they felt a heavy burden from loans or fixed expenses. Just 26.1 percent said they were investing enough in wellness spending.

The report did not directly link the shortfall in mental health management to financial costs. Cost-related concerns did, however, emerge consistently as a source of dissatisfaction across physical, social and environmental wellness. Among those dissatisfied with their physical wellness, 20.9 percent cited the cost of health care; for social wellness, 23.5 percent pointed to the cost of social activities; and for environmental wellness, 25.1 percent cited the cost of improving their surroundings.

The report was based on an online and mobile survey and in-depth focus group interviews conducted from July 21 to Aug. 5 among 2,000 men and women between the ages of 25 and 69 who are economically independent.

Meanwhile, KB Financial has also been running social contribution activities to help customers prevent financial fraud. Working with the Korean National Police Agency and the Safe Life Practice Citizens' Alliance, it is operating a campaign called "Uisim Jeonsim" along with educational content and hands-on programs aimed at preventing new forms of financial fraud, including investment chat-room scams and deepfake phishing.