Insomnia Patients in South Korea near 800,000
The number of insomnia patients in South Korea has been steadily increasing, nearing 800,000. Recent data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service showed that 782,381 people sought hospital treatment for insomnia last year, marking a 3.4 percent rise from the previous year. Over the past decade, the number of insomnia patients has surged by over 70 percent, up from 448,000 in 2013.
When considering other sleep disorders alongside insomnia, the number of sleep-deprived individuals is even higher. The National Health Insurance Service reported that approximately 1.09 million South Koreans received treatment for various sleep disorders in 2022, a 28.5 percent increase compared to 855,025 patients in 2018.
The issue of sleep deprivation extends to younger populations as well. A survey conducted by ChildFund Korea among 10,140 students in elementary, middle, and high schools revealed that the average sleep duration had dropped to seven hours and 59 minutes in 2022, down from eight hours and 14 minutes in 2021. Around 13 percent of the surveyed students reported suffering from insomnia.
South Korea is known for its shorter sleep durations compared to other countries. The country was labeled as one of the most sleep-deprived nations among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. In 2021, OECD data indicated that South Koreans slept an average of seven hours and 51 minutes per day, which is over 30 minutes less than the OECD average of eight hours and 27 minutes.
