Seoul Young Couples, One in Two Have No Children 'Nation's Highest'

"Still Difficult to Balance Work and Childbirth·Parenting"
"Housing Instability Also One of the Factors Hindering Childbirth"

More than one in three young dual-income couples were found to be 'DINKs' (Double Income No Kids). In Seoul, 45.2% of couples were childless in 2022. This figure was significantly higher than the overall average of 27.1%.

According to the report "Changes in Characteristics of Childless Couples Over the Past Decade" by the Korea Labor Institute on the 12th, as of 2022, 27.1% of married households aged 25-39 were childless couples.

An employee commuting to work at the Government Seoul Office Building with a child.
Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

This is an increase of nearly 5 percentage points from 22.2% in 2013. In particular, the proportion of childless couples was higher among dual-income couples. The share of childless dual-income couples aged 25-39 rose from 21.0% in 2013 to 36.3% in 2022, an increase of 15.3 percentage points over 10 years.

On the other hand, among single-income couples, the proportion of childless couples was 13.5% in 2022, about one-third that of dual-income couples. There was little change compared to 12.3% in 2013, ten years earlier.

When the wife was employed, the proportion of childless couples increased from 53.2% in 2013 to 71.0% in 2022, a rise of 17.8 percentage points. The employment rate of wives in couples with children increased from 36.6% to 40.6% over the decade, which was lower compared to childless couples.

The report explained, "It can be inferred that many couples with children still give up economic activities due to difficulties in balancing work and childbirth/childcare."

The homeownership rate among childless couples was 34.6% in 2022, lower than 52.0% for couples with children. Additionally, the response rate indicating that the main purpose of saving was 'housing preparation' was about 1.7 times higher among childless couples.

The report suggested, "Housing instability can be considered one of the factors hindering childbirth among childless couples," and speculated that the higher proportion of childless couples in Seoul at 45.2% in 2022, compared to the overall average (27.1%), is likely related to Seoul's high housing prices.

Kwon Ik-seong, senior researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, said, "To encourage childbirth among childless couples, expanding housing support seems necessary," adding, "It appears necessary to strengthen tailored policies that can increase childbirth incentives based on the labor market characteristics of wives in childless couples, along with expanding support that promotes work-family balance."

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