The prevalence of heart failure in Korea has increased 3.4 times over the past 20 years. The mortality rate per 100,000 people has also risen 6.3-fold. Experts point out that while heart failure prevalence is increasing globally due to factors such as population aging, Korea is experiencing the fastest growth rate.

The Korean Society of Heart Failure unveiled the “Heart Failure Fact Sheet 2025 for Korea” at a press conference held during “Heart Failure Seoul 2025” last Friday. This fact sheet is based on a customized database created by sampling 50 percent of all National Health Insurance Service subscribers from 2002 to 2023.

According to the 2025 Fact Sheet, Korea's heart failure prevalence rate stood at 3.41 percent in 2023, a staggering 3.4-fold increase from 0.77 percent in 2002.

By age group, those aged 80 and above had the highest prevalence at 26.5 percent, followed by 70-year-olds at 12.9 percent, 60-year-olds at 6.3 percent, and 50-year-olds at 2.5 percent. While the prevalence has been steadily increasing annually, the rate of increase was significantly more pronounced in women than in men. The incidence rate per 100,000 people also increased from 481 in 2002 to 763 in 2023, while the mortality rate surged from 3.1 to 19.6, a 6.3-fold increase. The hospitalization rate due to heart failure also rose more than fourfold, from 21 people in 2002 to 86 in 2023.

Furthermore, regional prevalence rates were highest in North Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, and Jeju Province at 3.8 percent, while Seoul and Gyeonggi Province had the lowest rates. Regarding incidence per 100,000 population, North Jeolla Province had the highest at 1,272, while Ulsan had the lowest at 529. Mortality rates were also highest in North Jeolla Province at 25.7 per 100,000, and lowest in Gwangju at 10.8 per 100,000.

Regarding this “Fact Sheet 2025,” Lee Chan-joo (Cardiology, Severance Hospital), chair of the Fact Sheet Committee of the Korean Society of Heart Failure, stated, “Looking at the annual hospitalization rate for heart failure patients, it increased from 27.7 percent in 2002 to 47.3 percent in 2023. This is because the patients themselves are getting older, leading to more comorbidities and consequently more hospitalizations.”

Lee noted that a more detailed analysis is needed to understand why North Jeolla Province showed high prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates by region.

Yoo Byung-su, president of the Korean Society of Heart Failure (Wonju Severance Hospital), explained, “In the early 2010s, the society projected the prevalence rate would be just under 3 percent by around 2040. However, the prevalence of heart failure has risen significantly due to rapid changes in the population structure.”

Yoo continued, “Particularly in Western countries, heart failure accounts for the highest medical costs among inpatient treatments.” In other words, it is a disease that could become a significant social and economic problem, he explained.

However, in Korea, heart failure is classified under the general disease group rather than the specialized disease group, which corresponds to severe conditions in the disease group classification. The society points out that it should be classified as a specialized disease group and recognized as a severe condition.

“Heart failure is classified under the general disease group rather than the specialized disease group because diagnostic codes for it are frequently issued in private clinics,” said Professor Lee Hae-young of the Department of Cardiology at Seoul National University Hospital, who serves as the policy director of the society. “When a disease group requiring specialized medical care is classified under the general group, it restricts the utilization of hospital medical resources, leading to distortions in healthcare.”

Lee continued, "The mortality rate for heart failure is twice that of myocardial infarction and even higher than cancer. However, even in severe heart failure, mortality can be reduced by 60 percent, depending on the level of treatment. Only if it is designated as a specialized disease group can continuous outpatient care by heart failure specialists be possible. Therefore, we urge that it be designated as a specialized disease group as soon as possible so that heart failure patients can receive inpatient treatment at hospitals with confidence."