Seoul Residents Face Surge in Alcohol Use and Depression

Rising Health Concerns Among Seoul Citizens

Over the past four years, a notable shift has been observed in the health behaviors and mental well-being of Seoul citizens. The data reveals an upward trend in drinking rates, smoking among women, and feelings of depression across both genders. These findings are highlighted in a recent report by the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family, which examines the current status of health among Seoul residents and the need for gender-sensitive health policies.

Drinking Rates: A Growing Trend

The report analyzed data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Community Health Survey and responses from approximately 20,000 Seoul residents annually. One of the most significant findings is the increase in drinking rates among women. From 2020 to 2024, the rate rose from 40.3% to 45.6%, marking an increase of 5.3 percentage points. Men also saw a rise, albeit smaller, from 66.5% to 67.7%. However, their drinking rate remained significantly higher than that of women.

High-risk drinking rates also increased during this period. For women, the high-risk drinking rate went up from 7.1% in 2020 to 8.2% in 2024. Men experienced a similar trend, with their high-risk drinking rate increasing from 18.0% to 19.6%.

Smoking Rates: A Gender Divide

While the overall smoking rate among women showed a slight increase, from 3.0% in 2020 to 3.9% in 2024, men experienced a decline, dropping from 28.9% to 26.6%. This contrast highlights the differing trends between genders. The smoking rate is defined as the proportion of current smokers who have smoked more than five packs in their lifetime.

Mental Health: Increasing Feelings of Depression

Mental health concerns have also seen a marked increase. The rate of experiencing feelings of depression rose for both women and men. Women's rate increased from 6.4% in 2018 to 8.8% in 2024, while men's rate climbed from 3.6% to 6.0% over the same period. Despite this, the perceived stress rate slightly decreased. In 2024, 25.0% of women and 22.8% of men reported feeling “a great deal” or “a lot” of stress, down from 26.8% and 26.0%, respectively, in 2018.

Physical Activity: A Positive Shift

In contrast to the rising concerns in other areas, physical activity rates have shown improvement. The rate of moderate or higher-intensity physical activity increased from 13.8% to 20.3% among women and from 23.1% to 30.4% among men between 2020 and 2024. Walking rates also saw an upward trend, with women increasing from 49.9% to 67.2% and men from 56.7% to 68.1%.

Recommendations for Gender-Sensitive Health Policies

The report underscores the importance of health risk management that considers gender differences. It recommends prioritizing stress management programs and early intervention systems for depression for women. For men, the focus should be on raising awareness of health risk factors such as smoking and drinking.

By addressing these gender-specific issues, the report suggests that targeted interventions could lead to improved public health outcomes in Seoul.