18,484 Babies Born in April 'All-Time Low'... Population Decline Continues for 42 Consecutive Months

Number of April Births Falls Below 20,000 for the First Time
Monthly Births Decline for 89 Consecutive Months

The number of births in April this year fell below 20,000 for the first time, marking the lowest level ever recorded for the month of April. As a result, the population has been naturally declining for 42 consecutive months.

According to the 'April 2023 Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 28th, the number of births last April was 18,484, a decrease of 12.7% (2,681) compared to the previous year. The monthly number of births has been decreasing year-on-year for 89 consecutive months since December 2015. The number of births is usually compared month-to-month due to seasonal effects.

Monthly Birth Trends Nationwide. Data from Statistics Korea

The number of deaths was 27,581, down 24.8% (9,091) from the same month last year. The number of deaths by city and province also decreased in all regions compared to the same month last year. Nevertheless, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, resulting in a natural population decline for 42 consecutive months domestically. By region, all cities and provinces except Sejong experienced a natural decrease.

By region, the number of births decreased compared to the same month last year in all cities and provinces except Chungbuk. The crude birth rate, which indicates the number of births per 1,000 people, was recorded at 4.4. Sejong had the highest crude birth rate at 7.5, while Jeonbuk had the lowest at 3.6.

The number of marriages in April was 14,475, down 1,320 (-8.4%) from the same month last year. By region, the number of marriages increased in two provinces, Jeonbuk and Jeonnam, compared to the same month last year, but decreased in 15 cities and provinces including Seoul and Busan. During the same period, the number of divorces was 7,288, an increase of 90 (1.3%). By region, 11 cities and provinces including Busan and Daegu saw an increase, while six cities and provinces including Seoul and Gyeonggi saw a decrease.

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