• Using data for the 2nd to 25th (1999 to 2022) KLIPS academic conferences, we examined the income and labor market characteristics of elderly single-person households and elderly couple households, focusing on households with an elderly head.

• The share of elderly households in total households continues to increase, reaching 32.3% in 2022, with elderly single-person households accounting for 10.1% and elderly couple households accounting for 11.0%.

- The gender of elderly single households was mostly female, but recently the proportion of male elderly single households has increased, reaching 28.2% in 2022. A new feature is that the number of male elderly one-person households is increasing due to 'divorce or separation' from their spouse. The number of cases seems to be increasing.

- In 1998, the real equivalent income of elderly households was about half of that of all households, but it increased to 76.2% in 2021.

- However, more than 80% of elderly single-person households are still in the bottom 40% of all households in terms of income.

- The main sources of income for elderly one-person households were found to be social insurance benefits and transfer income. Among the transfer incomes, the basic pension and support from children living separately appeared to be the main sources.

- Recently, however, the amount of help received from children living separately has decreased, and it was observed that they maintain their livelihoods by receiving basic pension, old-age pension, and survivor's pension from the government, and by earning income by participating in the government's job creation program for the elderly.

- The recent increase in elderly employment is largely concentrated in temporary daily jobs and mainly in industries with low average monthly wages.

- Therefore, it is judged that in order to alleviate poverty among elderly households in Korea, the quality of jobs for the elderly must be improved along with an increase in government spending on public pensions.