빈곤층 2년만에 줄었다…작년 상대적 빈곤율 7년새 최저<br /><br />Statistics Korea, the Financial Supervisory Service and the nation's central bank released their report on household finance and welfare research results.<br />One thing clearly stood out: changes in relative poverty rate in the year 2017.<br />Hong Yoo breaks down the numbers for us. <br />After maintaining an upward trend for 2 years, relative poverty rate in South Korea has finally decreased in 2017.<br />Relative poverty refers to household incomes that are a certain percentage below the median incomes.<br />In 2017, the country's relative poverty rate decreased by 0.2 percent from 17-point-6 percent.<br />This is the lowest figure registered since from the data started being gathered in 2011.<br />The average annual income of the poor strata was around 11 thousand U.S. dollars which means that 17-point-4 percent of the entire population had to live off such amount of income.<br />Compared to other OECD member states, the rate is still high.<br />South Korea is the member with the 3rd highest relative poverty rate.<br />The highest rate was observed in the U.S. with 17-point-8 percent followed by Israel.<br /> The report announced by Statistics Korea shows that people in the poor bracket earned more profit last year but it also showed a widened gap in terms of income. <br />South Korea faced the worst income inequality after 2014, with those classified as the richest people of the nation earning 7 times more than those in the average and poor brackets.<br />Last year's income distribution was still relatively unfair as well, ending up top 5 among the OECD member states to have an unfair income distribution.<br />Hong Yoo, Arirang News. <br />
