South Korea's birthrate falls to record low for 3rd consecutive year

ANKARA (AA) - South Korea had an all-time low birthrate for the third consecutive year in 2022, with a 4.4% further decrease from the previous year, local media reported on Wednesday.

A total of 249,000 babies were born in the country last year, resulting in a further 4.4% decline in population from the previous record low in 2021, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing statistics released by Statistics Korea.

A total of 260,600 babies were born in 2021, which is a decrease of 11,800 from the previous year.

Last year, births fell for the third year in a row, the media outlet said.

The data showed that the average woman gave birth to her first child at the age of 33 last year, followed by 34.2 and 35.6.

Despite government efforts, the country's total fertility rate, which counts the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, dropped to 0.78 in 2022, making it the lowest level since the statistics agency started gathering data on the subject in 1970, the news agency said.

According to the data, 372,800 persons died last year, indicating a 17.4% rise over the previous year.

It revealed that the country reported more deaths than births.

The East Asian country is experiencing a drop in childbirth because many young people are avoiding marriage and having children due to a lack of quality career possibilities, high property prices, and costly private education.

In response to plummeting birth rates, the government promised greater incentives for families in 2020.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid