Newlyweds Buried in Debt as Median Loan Rises 130% in 8 Years with High Interest Rates Looming

Share of "All-in Loans" Over 300 Million Won Quadruples

Warning Signs for Repayment Burden Among Younger Households with Limited Asset Accumulation

The median loan amount for newlywed couples in their first marriage within five years of marriage has increased by more than 130% over the past eight years. As more newlyweds have increased so-called "all-in loans" to purchase homes during the period of rising housing prices, the number of households starting out with significant debt has surged. There are growing concerns that newly married couples with a shorter period to accumulate assets may face a heavier repayment burden.

According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) of the Ministry of Data and Statistics on September 28, 2026, the median loan balance for newlywed couples in their first marriage was 179 million won in 2024, an increase of 5.0% from the previous year. Compared to 77.78 million won in 2016, when such statistics began to be compiled, this represents an increase of 130.1%. The outstanding loans included in this figure cover household loans from both primary and secondary financial institutions, as well as business loans for individual proprietors. The median refers to the value at the midpoint when arranging all outstanding loan balances of couples in ascending order.

The rise in loan amounts became particularly pronounced during the housing market boom. The median loan surpassed 90 million won in 2017 and 100 million won in 2018, reaching 150 million won in 2021, a year of significant home price increases. It then rose to the 160 million won range in 2022 and the 170 million won range in 2023. In particular, the proportion of large loans of 300 million won or higher has expanded dramatically—from just 5.3% in 2016 to 24.0% in 2024, more than a fourfold increase. In contrast, the share of loans under 10 million won fell from 8.8% to 4.6%, while the proportion of loans between 10 million and 30 million won dropped from 14.7% to 5.7% over the same period.

There were also clear differences based on home ownership. In 2024, among newlywed couples in their first marriage who owned a home, 33.2% had loans of 300 million won or more, nearly double the 16.7% observed among those who did not own a home. The median loan balance for home-owning couples was 228.24 million won, which is 86.64 million won more than the 141.6 million won for non-homeowners.

Among homeowning newlywed couples living in Seoul, the proportion whose total officially assessed housing price exceeded 600 million won rose from 5.9% in 2015 to 31.4% in 2024. This demonstrates a notable increase in newlyweds who took out relatively large loans to purchase homes.

Loan dynamics also differed according to dual-income status. The median loan balance for dual-income newlywed couples was 198 million won, which is 40.13 million won higher than the 157.87 million won for single-income couples. The proportion of large loans of 300 million won or more was also higher among dual-income couples at 28.0%, compared to 18.8% for single-income couples. Newlyweds with children had a median loan balance of 188.26 million won, higher than the 169.5 million won for childless couples. The increase in loans may reflect efforts to secure larger housing when getting married and having children. The problem becomes acute when rising loan burdens intersect with interest rates. Given that newly married households generally have lower incomes and a shorter period to accumulate assets, an increased repayment burden could diminish their consumption capacity or raise the risk of delinquency.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.