October Births 'Record Low' at 21,000... Population Decreases by 33,000 This Year

Natural Population Decline for 24 Consecutive Months with More Deaths than Births
October's Decrease is the Second Largest Ever

Death Rate Increase Highest in 11 Years for Same Month
Marriage and Divorce Rates at Lowest

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The number of births in October hit a record low for the month. With births decreasing and deaths increasing, the population has naturally declined for 24 consecutive months. The cumulative population decrease from January to October this year reached 33,000.

According to the 'October Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 29th, the number of births in October was 20,736, a 5.2% decrease compared to the previous year. This is the lowest number for the same month since monthly statistics began in January 1981. The monthly number of births has been declining for 71 consecutive months since December 2015.

The crude birth rate, which is the number of births per 1,000 people, stands at 4.8%. The region with the highest crude birth rate is Sejong (10.2%), and the lowest is Jeonbuk (3.9%).

The cumulative number of births from January to October was 224,216, a 3.6% decrease compared to the same period last year. The annual number of births fell into the 200,000 range for the first time last year, and it is expected to remain in the 200,000 range this year as well. Kim Sooyoung, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, explained, "The population of women in their 30s, who are the main childbearing age group, is decreasing, and marriages have been declining continuously since 2012, with a sharper decrease due to COVID-19. As the age of marriage and childbirth rises, the period during which women give birth shortens, leading to a continued decrease in the number of births."

On the other hand, the number of deaths in October was 27,783, a 4.9% increase compared to the previous year. This is the highest number of deaths for the same month on record, and the year-on-year increase rate is the highest in 11 years since October 2010 (9.3%). Deaths among the elderly aged 65 and over increased by 6.2% compared to the previous year. Statistics Korea stated that it has not been confirmed whether COVID-19 influenced the increase in deaths. Deaths are gradually increasing as the population ages.

The natural population decrease, calculated by subtracting deaths from births in October, was 7,046. This is the second-largest decrease on record, following December last year (7,225).

The cumulative natural population decrease from January to October this year was 33,250, a 67.6% (13,413) increase compared to the same period last year. The population has been naturally declining for 24 consecutive months since November 2019.

The number of marriages in October was 15,203, a 7.7% decrease compared to the previous year. This is the lowest number on record for the same month. The cumulative number of marriages from January to October was 155,660, a 10.1% decrease compared to the same period last year.

The crude marriage rate, which indicates the number of marriages per 1,000 people, is 3.5. The region with the highest crude marriage rate is Daejeon (4.0), and the lowest is Jeonnam (2.6). The number of divorces in October was 7,703, a 17.6% decrease compared to the previous year. This is the lowest number on record for the same month. Kim explained, "The continuous decline in marriages since 2012 appears to have accumulated and influenced the decrease in divorces."

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