[The Editors' Verdict] How to Overcome the 'National Crisis' of Plummeting Birth Rates

The birth rate for the second quarter of this year, announced by Statistics Korea, is 0.7. This means the era of a birth rate of 0.6 is imminent for the first time in history. The birth rate (total fertility rate) refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime.

The birth rate in 2022 was 0.78. It decreased further from 0.81 in 2021. The birth rate tends to be lower at the end of the year than at the beginning. This year’s total fertility rate is expected to be even lower than last year’s statistics.

Looking at the changes in South Korea’s birth rate, the phrase “a world of difference” fits well. It is an unfamiliar situation for the generation that grew up seeing the slogan “Don’t distinguish between sons and daughters, just have two and raise them well.” In fact, the birth rate in 1976 reached 3.0. It was an era full of “warnings of terror” about how dreadful the future would be if explosive population growth continued on the small landmass of the Korean Peninsula.

Thanks to government efforts and public practice, the birth rate steadily declined, reaching 1.74 in 1984. This was the first time in history that South Korea’s birth rate fell below 2.0. During the 1980s and 1990s, the birth rate fluctuated around 1.5. The major change in trend appeared after the 2000s.

The birth rate remained in the low 1s before dropping below 1.0 to 0.98 in 2018. Since 2015, it has been steadily declining without fluctuations. The shock and burden caused by the decline in birth rate across society are beyond imagination. Concerns about the shrinking workforce are just the tip of the iceberg. The reason past governments have invested astronomical budgets to solve the low birth rate problem is due to fears of its adverse effects on future growth potential.

What is the reason for South Korea’s declining birth rate? Some view it as a natural result of improved social culture and economic power. However, it is questionable whether this can be seen as a phenomenon typical of developed countries. Among OECD member countries, South Korea has the lowest birth rate.

The United States, a symbol of a developed country, has a birth rate more than twice that of South Korea. In 2021, the U.S. birth rate was recorded at 1.66, higher than the OECD average of 1.58. So, is South Korea’s birth rate change related to the characteristics of East Asian culture? To conclude, such a hypothesis is far-fetched.

Japan’s birth rate in 2021 was 1.30. Although somewhat lower than the U.S., it is nearly twice as high as South Korea’s. South Korea is taking a different path from the U.S., Europe, and even Japan. In this sense, the message conveyed by Joan Williams, Professor Emerita at the University of California, is worth pondering.

“I have never heard of such a low birth rate. South Korea is completely ruined.” The shadow of low birth rates may be casting a much darker shadow on us than we think. Ignoring this uncomfortable reality will not improve the situation.

The regular National Assembly session began in September. Even if criticized as “pouring water into a bottomless jar,” budget support and institutional improvement efforts to solve the low birth rate problem must continue.

This means we must put our heads together with the attitude of overcoming a crisis equivalent to a national disaster.

When the spark of change that started in the “hall of public opinion” spreads throughout society, the reversal of the birth rate decline can also be stopped.

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