Analysis of Absolute and Relative Care Poverty Rates Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Need of Care in the Republic of Korea

The study aims to analyze the prevalence of absolute and relative care poverty among community-dwelling older adults with functional limitations in the Republic of Korea. Absolute care poverty is defined as the proportion of individuals who do not receive any formal or informal care despite needing assistance. Relative care poverty refers to the proportion of individuals who receive care but perceive the amount of care as insufficient. Data were drawn from the 2017 National Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons (n=2,608), the 2020 survey (n=1,233), and the 2023 survey (n=1,873), conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The care poverty rates were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. The results show an increasing trend in absolute care poverty, rising from 28.6% in 2017 to 45.0% in 2020 and 52.8% in 2023. Relative care poverty increased from 14.3% in 2017 to 23.8% in 2020, then slightly decreased to 18.3% in 2023. The findings suggest that expanding the coverage and adequacy of care services is necessary to alleviate care poverty among older adults in Korea.