Korea's Aging Population and Household Saving Rate: Evidence for an Extended Life Cycle Income Hypothesis

Korea is entering the class of aging population nations. This paper investigates the extent demographic factors and the aging population affect the saving rate, using an extended life-cycle/permanent-income hypothesis on saving. The results of the tests with Korean household survey data from 1977 to 2002 reveal that real saving rates increase when the duration of lifetime and per household real disposable income rise, and decrease when the growth rate of income and net worth-to-GDP ratio rises. The growth rate of per household real disposable income has negative effects, suggesting that households calculate their life cycle income in a forward looking manner. The elasticities with respect to a change in the lifetime horizon and the growth rate of per household income are 0.58 and -0.03, respectively. A one percent rise in the net worth to GDP ratio reduces the saving rate by 0.3 percent. A one percent rise in per household income increases it by 0.33 percent. The younger-age and the elder-age dependency ratios have insignificant effects on the household saving rate behavior. When Korean life expectancy rises, the private saving rate declines modestly and the government saving rate declines substantially. The economy's real net saving rate declines from 33 percent in 2002 to 30 percent by the year 2030.