Heart Failure Statistics 2025 Update: A Report From the Korean Society of Heart Failure

We evaluated 20-year trends in heart failure (HF) epidemiology in Korea to quantify changes in its burden from 2002 to 2023.

A nationwide analysis was conducted using a random 50% sample from the Korean National Health Information Database linked to mortality records (2002-2023). HF was defined using diagnostic codes recorded as a primary or secondary condition. We calculated crude and age-standardized rates of prevalence, incidence, hospitalization, and mortality. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, stratified by inpatient versus outpatient diagnosis. Trends in heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device implantations were also examined.

By 2023, approximately 1,750,228 individuals had HF (3.41% prevalence). The age-standardized prevalence has more than doubled from 2002 to 2023. The crude incidence increased over time; the age-standardized incidence remained stable in men and declined in women. Hospitalization rates for any cause or secondary HF diagnoses have increased substantially, whereas primary HF hospitalization rates have remained relatively stable. The annual mortality rate in patients with HF was approximately 6.0% in 2023, being markedly higher in older adults. Although short-term survival has improved, particularly in hospitalized patients, long-term survival remains limited. Use of advanced therapies significantly increased.

The burden of HF in Korea has increased substantially over the past two decades, driven primarily by population aging and improved survival rather than increasing age-adjusted incidence. Despite therapeutic advances, hospitalization and long-term mortality rates remain high, highlighting the need for comprehensive HF strategies in aging societies.