사회보장 확대에 대한 국민 수용성 분석: 지불의사액(WTP)를 중심으로

고제이; 최은철

doi:10.15709/hswr.2026.46.1.172

Health and Social Welfare Review

연구윤리Research Ethics

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보건사회연구 표지 ISSN : 1226-072X

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제46권 제1호Vol.46, No.1

Citation

사회보장 확대에 대한 국민 수용성 분석: 지불의사액(WTP)를 중심으로

Analysis of Public Acceptance of Social Security Policy: Focusing on Willingness to Pay (WTP)

고제이(한국보건사회연구원) ; 최은철(한국해양대학교)
Ko, Jayee(Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs) ; Choi, Eun Chul(Korea Maritime & Ocean University) 보건사회연구 , Vol.46, No.1, pp.172-191 19 January 2026
https://dx.doi.org/10.15709/hswr.2026.46.1.172

Abstract

This study evaluates public acceptance of social security policies in South Korea by estimating citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP). A nationwide survey was conducted with 3,073 respondents aged 19 and older, focusing on four key areas of social security: elderly support, child support, support for the unemployed and marginal workers, and support for persons with disabilities and for low-income groups. The results show that over 70% of respondents agreed on the necessity of expanding social security policies and expressed a willingness to bear additional costs, with particularly high WTP observed for elderly support and support for vulnerable populations. Experience with receiving social benefits emerged as a major factor positively influencing WTP, while demographic variables such as gender, income level, and employment type also showed significant effects. In particular, non-regular workers demonstrated higher WTP for policies targeting unemployed and marginal workers, suggesting that welfare attitudes are shaped not only by income level but also by current socioeconomic status. The total estimated annual WTP, when scaled to the taxpayer population, amounts to approximately KRW 17.4 trillion, or about 0.7% of GDP. By quantifying public preferences for specific social security programs, this study offers a useful empirical framework for designing equitable and financially sustainable welfare policies.

keyword: Social Security Policy Willingness to Pay (WTP) Policy Acceptance Welfare Attitude Bayesian Analysis

초록

본 연구는 사회보장정책에 대한 국민 수용성을 정량적으로 평가하기 위해 지불의사액(WTP)을 추정하였다. 전국 19세 이상 가구주 및 배우자 3,073명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하고, 노인·아동·실업자 및 한계근로자·장애인 및 저소득층 지원 등 4개 영역을 분석하였다. 그 결과 약 70% 이상이 정책 확대와 비용 부담에 동의하였으며, 특히 노인 및 취약계층 지원에서 높은 WTP가 나타났다. 또한 수혜 경험과 고용형태 등이 유의한 영향을 미쳤으며, 총 WTP는 연간 약 17.4조 원으로 추정되었다.