South Korea reports more deaths than births for the first time as population decreases

South Korea reports more deaths than births for the first time as population decreases

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For years, South Korea has struggled with a growing demographic crisis. The country’s fertility rate – the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime – has repeatedly reached record levels and is almost at the bottom of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Meanwhile, South Korea’s population continues to age, leading the country to a demographic decline.

But last year’s census data, released by the Ministry of Interior and Security on Monday, look even more alarming.

There were only 275,815 births, a low record – compared to 307,764 deaths, an increase of 3.1% in deaths the previous year. This is the first time that South Korea has reached the “population mortality cross” when the number of deaths exceeds births, the ministry said in a press release – and the first time that the total population has declined.

The population continues to age rapidly, the census showed: 32.7% of people are between 40 and 50 years old and almost a quarter are over 60 years old.

“The steady decline in the birth rate shows that the low birth rate remains a major problem in Korea,” the statement said. “There needs to be a fundamental change in government policies, such as social security, education and national defense, accordingly.”

The statement did not mention the causes of death or how much the Covid-19 pandemic influenced last year’s figures. The pandemic has killed 981 people in South Korea so far, according to a Johns Hopkins University count.

But Korean experts have warned that the pandemic could distort the number of births and deaths – both because of the greater number of Covid-related deaths and because the circumstances of the pandemic could discourage couples from having children.

In a report published in December 2020, the Central Bank of Korea warned that the drop in the country’s birth rates and the aging population would likely “accelerate” due to the impact of Covid-19. The pandemic caused greater job and income insecurity for young adults in their 20s and 30s – potentially disrupting their plans to start a family. Economic and personal anxieties can make it slow to have children; in some cases, a temporary postponement of delivery may become permanent, the report said.
Japan's birth rate hits another record low in 2019

The bank warned that South Korea may soon have the highest proportion of elderly people in the world and called for stronger policies and incentives for childbirth to support the country’s economy.

Other countries with low fertility rates have also seen their demographic difficulties deepen during the pandemic. Japan, which struggled for years with low birth rates and an aging population, saw the number of reported pregnancies and marriages drop in the first half of 2020.
In October, the Japanese Minister of State for Measures to Decrease the Birth Rate, Tetsushi Sakamoto, told reporters that the pandemic may be discouraging people from becoming pregnant and starting a family.
There are similar reasons behind the declining population in Japan and South Korea – one of the main reasons being the demanding work culture that makes it difficult to reconcile a career with family life.

There is also a tendency to postpone or avoid marriage. In 2018, the majority of South Koreans aged 20 to 44 were single, according to the Korean Institute of Health and Social Affairs (KIHSA). Among those who were not dating, 51% of men and 64% of women said they chose not to date to enjoy their hobbies or dedicate themselves to education. Many say they simply don’t have the time, money or emotional capacity to go on dates.

In an effort to combat falling birth and marriage rates, the South Korean government has implemented a number of initiatives and policies. In 2018, the government reduced the maximum working day from 68 hours a week to 52 hours last year, with some experts pointing to declining fertility rates as a motivator.

More recently, in December, the government launched its 4th Basic Plan for the Low Fertility and Aging Society, which sets out its plans for population policy over the next five years, including offering cash bonuses for childbirth, childcare subsidies and expanded benefits. for multiple children’s families.

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