Income and Health Inequalities Utilizing Administrative Big Data: An Analysis of National Health Insurance Service Database in South Korea

This study aims to analyze income and health inequalities in the Southeastern region of Korea using administrative big data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). As non-Seoul regions in Korea face severe aging and a high risk of depopulation, it is crucial to calculate local indicators of poverty and inequality to implement effective policies. Previous studies on health inequality at the local level in South Korea mainly relied on income deciles based on health insurance premiums, which do not accurately represent income. Additionally, household surveys designed for inequality research often have insufficient number of respondents for local-level analysis, leading to underrepresentation of high-income groups and inaccurate inequality estimates. To overcome these limitations, we secured an administrative big data from the NHIS, which includes detailed income and asset data transferred from the National Tax Service. Our analysis focused on income and health inequality in the Southeastern non-metropolitan region, examining spatial distribution and correlation of income and health inequality at a local level. Preliminary exploratory analysis using hotspot techniques revealed distinct spatial patterns of income and health inequality in the region. Based on these findings, we will further examine the effect of social and environmental factors such as green spaces to provide a more comprehensive analysis of regional inequalities and their correlates. Through the utilization of administrative big data in inequality research, this study will make significant contributions to the qualitative advancement in the field of social stratification.