15 Consecutive Months of Natural Population Decline... The Sound of Children Crying Also 'Stops'

Number of Marriages Hits Record Low in January
"Increase in Deaths Due to Aging Population... Natural Decline Trend Expected to Worsen"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] The natural population decrease, where the number of deaths exceeds the number of births, has continued for 15 consecutive months. In particular, the number of births in January recorded the lowest ever for that month.

According to the 'January 2021 Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 24th, the natural population change in January (births minus deaths) was -2,177. This marks 15 consecutive months of decline since November 2019 (-1,685).

The number of births in January was 25,003, a decrease of 1,675 (6.3%) compared to the previous year. This is the lowest monthly birth count since related statistics began in 1981.

The number of marriages registered in January was 16,280, down 3,539 (17.9%) from a year earlier. This is the lowest January figure since statistics began in 1981. The decline in marriages leads to a decrease in births. The number of divorces was 8,373, down 457 (5.2%) from the previous year.

Kim Sooyoung, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, analyzed, "The decrease in births and the increase in deaths due to aging may further accelerate the natural population decline."

She also explained, "The decrease in marriages due to the impact of COVID-19 appears to have contributed to the decline in births."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.