Koreans visit clinics 3 times more than OECD average

South Koreans made slightly fewer clinic visits last year than before, though usage remained about three times higher than the average across developed economies, government data showed Tuesday.

Average outpatient visits fell to 17.9 per person in 2024, down 0.8 percent from 18 the previous year, according to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The figure includes traditional Korean medicine but excludes dental care.

It marked the first decline since 2020, when visits dropped 14.5 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the dip, Koreans still visited clinics 2.98 times more frequently than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average of about six visits per person in 2023.

Total outpatient visits, including dental care, reached 1.01 billion.

Women recorded more visits than men, averaging 21.8 visits a year compared with 17.3. Patients aged 75 to 79 had the highest frequency at 40.8 visits, while those aged 20 to 24 made the fewest visits at 8.7.

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders accounted for the largest share of outpatient demand, with an average of 3.8 visits per person, or 198.6 million cases in total, based on the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases.

Primary care clinics, defined as medical institutions with fewer than 30 beds, accounted for 69.8 percent of all outpatient visits.

Major cities recorded the highest utilization rates. Seoul and Daegu each saw 22.7 visits per person, followed by Busan at 22.3 and Daejeon at 21.8.

The number of intensive care unit beds nationwide rose to 9,988 in 2024, up 20.7 percent from 8,273 in 2018. Pediatric ICU beds increased to 183 from 142 over the same period, while neonatal intensive care beds rose more modestly, up 2.2 percent to 1,852 from 1,812.