Seoul Is Not Immune to Population Decline... Lowest Birth Rate and Net Outflow for 11 Consecutive Months

Seoul's Total Fertility Rate is the Lowest Nationwide at 0.59 Children

In January alone this year, more than 3,000 people left Seoul for other regions. The total fertility rate, which is the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, dropped even further last year, recording the lowest nationwide rate of 0.59. This reflects the harsh reality of living in Seoul.

According to Statistics Korea on the 26th, Seoul has experienced a net population outflow for 11 consecutive months since February last year (which saw a net inflow of 3,265 people). On an annual basis, the net outflow trend in Seoul is even more pronounced. Last year, the total net outflow from Seoul was 35,340 people, continuing the trend that began in 1990.

The total number of movers nationwide in January this year was 506,000, a decrease of 8.4% (46,000 people) compared to the same month last year. Moves within provinces accounted for 61.3%, while moves between provinces accounted for 38.7%. Compared to the same month last year, moves within provinces decreased by 12.6%, and moves between provinces decreased by 0.7%.

Net migration by province, calculated as the number of people moving in minus those moving out, showed net inflows in five provinces including Gyeonggi (6,538 people), Incheon (2,395 people), and Sejong (762 people). On the other hand, 12 provinces including Seoul (-3,023 people), Gyeongbuk (-1,650 people), and Gyeongnam (-1,542 people) experienced net outflows.

The decline in the number of births in Seoul is steeper than the national average. Last year, the total number of births nationwide was 249,000, down 4.4% (11,500 people) from 260,600 the previous year. However, in Seoul, the number of births decreased by 6.7% (3,000 people) from 45,500 to 42,500 during the same period.

Seoul, which recorded the lowest total fertility rate nationwide, also saw a sharper decline than the national average last year. Nationwide, the rate fell from 0.81 in 2021 to 0.78 in 2022, a 3.7% decrease, while Seoul’s rate dropped from 0.63 to 0.59 during the same period, a 5.4% decrease, falling below 0.6.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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