• The Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable Index reaches 150.7 in 2025, rising for the third consecutive year after increasing from 100 in 2022 to 111.0 in 2023 and 130.6 in 2024.
• All six areas—from livelihoods and care to social inclusion—improve year on year, reflecting Seoul’s core philosophy of “Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable.”
• The Safety Index rises by 49.3 points and the Livelihoods and Care Index by 31.4 points, while support for socially isolated and withdrawn young people and small business owners in crisis more than doubles.
• Public rental housing stock increases by 12,371 units, alongside broad improvements in education and mental health support, as well as barrier-free access to cultural facilities.
• Seoul to continue refining policies based on evaluation results to deliver tangible improvements to the daily lives of more citizens.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, August 25, 2026 — The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s efforts to put its core philosophy of “Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable” into practice are showing results across key areas of citizens’ lives. The 2025 Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable Index reached 150.7, with all six areas—livelihoods and care, housing, health and healthcare, education and culture, safety, and social inclusion—improving year on year for the first time since the index was introduced. Seoul attributed the gains to its efforts to incorporate the value of supporting the socially vulnerable across a broad range of city policies, extending it beyond the scope of conventional welfare policy.

The Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable Index is a comprehensive measure of changes in policy outcomes, with 2022—the year Seoul declared its commitment to “Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable”—set as the baseline of 100. The index has risen for three consecutive years, reaching 111.0 in 2023, 130.6 in 2024, and 150.7 in 2025. In 2025, it increased by 20.1 points, or 15.4%, from the previous year.

<2025 Index Reaches 150.7, Continuing Three-Year Rise from 100 in 2022, 111.0 in 2023, and 130.6 in 2024 >

By area, safety rose by 49.3 points, a 33.1% increase, while livelihoods and care rose by 31.4 points, a 24.6% increase, driving the overall improvement. Education and culture also rose by 11.4 points, a 10.2% increase. Notably, social inclusion, which had declined for two consecutive years, rebounded from 95.6 in 2024 to 99.5 in 2025, supported by increased citizen participation in volunteering and charitable giving.

Seoul cited the proactive identification of citizens falling through policy gaps and the expansion of eligible groups and services as key factors behind the gains. The numbers receiving support more than doubled for both small business owners in crisis and socially isolated and withdrawn young people, from 1,346 in the previous year to 3,037 and from 891 to 1,882, respectively. The number of young family caregivers connected with welfare services also grew from 431 to 623, while the city’s public rental housing stock increased by 12,371 units over the year.

Seoul uses the index not simply as a “report card” of its performance, but as a management tool to identify policy gaps and redesign budgets and programs accordingly. Programs shown to be effective are expanded, while evaluation results for individual indicators are used to review and improve future initiatives.

The evaluation involved a comprehensive review of policy outcomes by citizens and experts, based on an analysis of performance for each indicator. An external evaluation panel of 50 members—including 40 academic and field experts and 10 citizen ombudsmen—held 10 meetings by area to examine achievements, limitations, and areas requiring further improvement.

Seoul plans to further strengthen its policies for supporting the socially vulnerable based on the evaluation results. The 2026 budget for related policies stands at KRW 15.6359 trillion, up KRW 870.4 billion, or 5.9%, from the previous year. Seoul will improve eligibility criteria and service delivery in areas with weaker indicators while expanding programs that have demonstrated results, with the aim of helping more citizens experience tangible improvements in their daily lives.

<Livelihoods and Care (159.2): Index Rises 31.4 Points as Seoul Identifies Citizens Falling Through Gaps in Existing Policies and Expands Crisis Response and Care Support>

[Livelihoods and Care] The area rose by 31.4 points, a 24.6% increase, from 127.8 in 2024 to 159.2 in 2025, with nine of its 12 indicators showing improvement. By identifying citizens who had fallen through gaps in existing policies and strengthening support tailored to their needs, Seoul made progress in stabilizing livelihoods and addressing gaps in care. In particular, proactive efforts to identify and support groups that have traditionally been difficult to reach through existing programs, including small business owners in crisis and young family caregivers, contributed to the increase.

<Housing (121.8): Index Returns to Growth as Public Rental Housing and Tailored Housing Support Expand, with Further Support Planned for Young People >

[Housing] The area returned to growth, rising by 1.5 points, a 1.2% increase, from 120.3 in 2024 to 121.8 in 2025, supported by an expansion of public rental housing and stronger tailored assistance for vulnerable groups. Seoul plans to continue ensuring a stable supply of public housing while further expanding measures to reduce housing costs based on the needs of different groups, including monthly rent assistance and rental deposit interest subsidies for young people.

<Health and Healthcare (163.0): Expanded Community-Based Healthcare and Mental Health Support for Children and Young People Drive Improvement >

[Health and Healthcare] The area rose by 6.5 points, a 4.2% increase, from 156.5 in 2024 to 163.0 in 2025. Seoul continued to make progress by strengthening community-based healthcare, including healthcare visits for vulnerable residents and hospital accompaniment services, while expanding mental health support for children, adolescents, and young adults.

<Education and Culture (122.7): Expanded Access to Learning, Digital Education, and Culture Drives 11.4-Point Increase >

[Education and Culture] The area rose by 11.4 points, a 10.2% increase, from 111.3 in 2024 to 122.7 in 2025, driven by expanded tailored learning and digital education programs and greater access to cultural activities for people with disabilities and others facing barriers to participation. Seoul plans to expand education and career support and digital literacy programs while continuing to create barrier-free cultural environments so that everyone can access learning and cultural opportunities regardless of income, disability, or age.

<Safety (198.2): Community Care and Smart Safety Networks Drive Largest Increase Among Six Areas >

[Safety] The area recorded the largest increase among the six areas, rising by 49.3 points, a 33.1% increase, from 148.9 in 2024 to 198.2 in 2025. The increase reflected Seoul’s efforts to strengthen systems for the early identification and support of people at risk in response to evolving social risks, including social isolation, withdrawal, and solitary deaths. Key factors behind the rise included efforts to combine community-based support networks with smart technologies to identify socially isolated and withdrawn young people and households at risk of solitary death, as well as the expansion of intelligent CCTV systems.

<Social Inclusion (99.5): Index Rebounds for First Time Since Launch as Opportunities for Volunteering and Charitable Giving Expand >

[Social Inclusion] The area returned to growth, rising by 3.9 points, a 4.1% increase, from 95.6 in 2024 to 99.5 in 2025, as participation in volunteering and charitable giving increased and public perceptions of socially vulnerable groups improved. As the index remains below the 2022 baseline, Seoul plans to create more opportunities for citizens to put the value of solidarity into practice in their daily lives through volunteering and charitable giving, while fostering a more inclusive culture across local communities.

Results of the Going Together with the Socially Vulnerable Index and performance data for individual indicators are available year-round on the Seoul Metropolitan Government website and through Smart Seoul View, Seoul’s information platform (scpm.seoul.go.kr/companion).