in the world South Korea once again broke the record for the lowest fertility rate. The number of babies born per woman in South Korea dropped to an average of 0.78 last year. A year ago it was 0.81.
South Korea has once again broken its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate, according to official figures published by Statistics Korea on Wednesday.
This is the lowest rate among countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The average rate in 2020 was 1.59. This was lower than the 1.64 in the US and 1.33 in Japan in the same year.
South Korean capital Seoul recorded the lowest birth rate – 0.59.
A shrinking population has fueled concerns that South Korea’s economy – the world’s 10th largest – will be hit hard by labor shortages and high welfare costs as the country’s aging population grows and the number of taxpayers shrinks.
Over the past 16 years, the government has spent 280 trillion won ($210 billion) to raise the country’s birth rate. But there is no result yet.
South Korea’s fertility rate fell to less than one child per woman in 2018 and its population will shrink significantly for the first time in 2021.
A country would need a fertility rate of 2.1 per woman if its population were to remain the same without immigration.
Many young South Koreans say they don’t feel obligated to have a family, like their parents and their predecessors. Examples they cite include job uncertainty, expensive housing, gender and social inequality, and the enormous cost of raising children in a highly competitive society.
All women complain about a patriarchal culture that forces them to take on the full responsibility of childcare while enduring workplace discrimination. They are not at all ready to accept male supremacy.
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government introduced several measures in December to combat South Korea’s declining birth rate. The latest figures indicate that many schemes have been put in place, including measures to encourage childbearing, care and maintenance of children, and eliminate discrimination against women in the workplace, but nothing has worked. The government has also taken steps to ensure affordable housing and suitable jobs for couples.
The latest data from Statistics Korea shows that 2,49,000 babies were born in the country last year. It was 2,60,000 a year ago.
A woman’s average childbearing age also rose to 33.5 last year.
At the same time, the number of deaths has increased from 3,17,680 recorded in the previous year to 3,72,800 this year.
The population of South Korea was 51.84 million in 2020 and has decreased to 51.74 million in 2021.
South Korea’s population is projected to shrink to just 37.66 million by 2070 if the current trend continues.
