Elderly in Seoul regard 72.6 years as average age of senior citizens: poll

SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- Older adults in Seoul estimate the average age of senior citizens at 72.6 years, a survey by the metropolitan government said Monday.

The city government conducted the survey on 3,010 men and women over the age of 65 living in the capital for two months from last June to look into the actual conditions of the elderly and establish policies in preparation for a super-aged society.

The average age of senior citizens perceived by Seoul's elderly was 7.6 years older than their official age of 65, the survey found.

The figure was also higher than 70, the newly proposed age of seniors eligible for free subway rides. Recently, calls have been mounting nationwide for the age of eligibility for free subway rides, currently set at 65, to be raised.

The survey found that 83.7 percent of the respondents were using smartphones and 1 in 4 were mainly using the internet to obtain necessary information.

It also showed 41.6 percent of the elderly still working, up 6.5 percentage points from 2018, and their average monthly income was 1.94 million won (US$1,560).

About 12 percent of all respondents said they had suffered from depressive symptoms in the past week. Their average number of chronic diseases suffered for more than three months was 1.9.

ycm@yna.co.kr
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