Korean elderly women are much more vulnerable to social isolation and illnesses compared to their male counterparts, a government study showed Sunday.

According to the study which surveyed 10,452 individuals aged 65 or older nationwide, more than 60 percent of elderly men were living with their spouses, while only 32.5 percent of elderly women were doing the same last year.

Almost one-third of elderly women, in particular, were living by themselves. The number of elderly people who lived by themselves increased from 13.6 percent to 23 percent from 1994 to 2014.

“Living on one’s own can lead to social isolation and this puts elderly women at a greater risk especially in emergency situations,” the report said.

Also, only 18.3 percent of elderly women were receiving national pension payments last year, while 50 percent of their male counterparts were benefitting from the public pension service.

Most women in the postwar generation, who are today’s senior citizens, lived as housewives and did not pay pension premiums as they never participated in the labor force.

Also, 78.6 percent of elderly women were suffering from two or more diseases at the same time last year, compared to about 63 percent of elderly men. Female seniors were also more prone to depression and lack of functional independence, such as the inability to walk, than elderly men.

Almost 90 percent of all senior citizens were suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes as of last year. More than 80 percent of the elderly were spending their leisure time watching TV.

The number of senior citizens who received higher education increased from 2.1 percent to 7.8 percent from 1994 to 2014. At the same time, 32 percent never attended middle school, while 30.5 percent of the elderly never received an education at all.

Meanwhile, 89 percent of all respondents said they opposed the idea of receiving life-sustaining medical treatment ― any treatment that serves to prolong life without reversing the underlying medical condition ― should they be diagnosed with an incurable disease.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)