24,000 Babies Born in January, Another Record Low Compared to Same Month... Population Declines for 27 Consecutive Months

January Population Trends

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seonhee] The number of births in January fell to the 24,000 range, marking the lowest figure ever recorded for the same month. Meanwhile, the number of deaths surged sharply, resulting in South Korea's population declining naturally for 27 consecutive months.

According to the "January 2022 Population Trends" released by Statistics Korea on the 23rd, the number of births in January was 24,598, down 311 (-1.2%) from the same month a year earlier. This is the lowest figure ever recorded for January since related statistics began. The crude birth rate, which indicates the number of births per 1,000 people, was 5.6, also the lowest since the statistics were first compiled.

On the other hand, the number of deaths in January was 29,686, an increase of 2,457 (9.0%) compared to the same month last year. This is the second highest number ever recorded since January 2018 (31,550 deaths), when a cold wave caused a rise in deaths. The increase is attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, the natural population change (births minus deaths) in January was -5,088. The domestic population has been naturally decreasing for 27 consecutive months since November 2019.

The number of marriages in January (based on marriage registrations) was 14,753, down 1,527 (-9.4%) from a year earlier. This was the lowest ever recorded for the same month. The number of divorces in January was 7,359, a decrease of 1,012 (-12.1%) compared to the same month last year. The decline in divorces appears to be a consequence of the overall decrease in marriages since 2012.

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