South Korea has been struggling with a growing demographic crisis for years. The country’s fertility rate – the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime – has hit rock bottom repeatedly and is at the bottom of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Meanwhile, South Korea’s population continues to age, plunging the country into a demographic decline.
But last year’s census, released Monday by the Department of the Interior and Security, seem even more alarming.
There were only 275,815 births, a record low – compared to 307,764 deaths, a 3.1% increase in the number of deaths of the previous year. This is the first time South Korea has reached the “population death cross,” when the number of deaths exceeds births, the ministry said in a press release – and the first time the overall population has shrunk.
The population continues to age rapidly, the census found: 32.7% of people are between the ages of 40 and 50 and nearly a quarter are older than 60.
“The constant decline in the birth rate shows that low birth rate remains a major problem in Korea,” the press said. “There must be a fundamental change in government policies, such as welfare, education and national defense, accordingly.”
The release did not mention any causes of death, or to what extent the Covid-19 pandemic affected last year’s numbers. The pandemic has killed 981 people in South Korea so far, according to a Johns Hopkins University census.
But Korean experts have previously warned that the pandemic could bias births and deaths – both because of the higher number of Covid-related deaths and because the pandemic’s circumstances could discourage couples from having children.
The bank warned that South Korea may soon have the largest proportion of elderly people in the world, and pushed for stronger childbirth policies and incentives to support the country’s economy.
There is also a trend to delay or avoid marriage. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHSA), in 2018, a majority of South Koreans aged 20 to 44 were single. Among those who weren’t dating, 51% of men and 64% of women said they chose not to date so they can enjoy their hobbies or focus on education. Many say they just don’t have the time, money, or emotional capacity to go on a date.
In an effort to counter declining birth and marriage rates, the South Korean government has taken a number of initiatives and policies. In 2018, the government lowered maximum working hours from 68 hours a week to 52 hours last year, with some experts pointing to the declining fertility rate as a driver.