South Korea reports more deaths than births for the first time as the population declines

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For years, South Korea has struggled with a growing demographic crisis. The country’s fertility rate – the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime – has repeatedly reached minimum levels and is close to the latest fertility rates in the world. Meanwhile, South Korea’s population continues to age, sending the country into a demographic decline.

But last year’s census data, released Monday by the Ministry of Interior and Security, seems even more alarming.

There were only 275,815 births, a record level – compared to 307,764 deaths, a 3.1% increase in deaths from the previous year. It is the first time South Korea has hit the “cross of the death of the population”, when the number of deaths exceeds births, the ministry said in a press release – and the first time the total population has fallen.

The population continues to age rapidly, according to the census: 32.7% of people are 40 and 50 years old and almost a quarter are over 60 years old.

“The steady decline in the birth rate shows that the low birth rate remains an important issue in Korea,” the statement said. “There must be a fundamental change in government policies, such as welfare, education and national defense, accordingly.”

The statement did not mention the causes of death or how much the Covid-19 pandemic affected last year’s figures. The pandemic has killed 981 people in South Korea so far, according to a report by Johns Hopkins University.

But Korean experts have previously warned that the pandemic could distort the number of births and deaths – both because of the higher number of Covid-related deaths and because of the circumstances of the pandemic that could discourage couples from having children.

In a report released in December 2020, the Central Bank of Korea warned that declining birth rates and an aging population are likely to “accelerate” due to the impact of Covid-19. The pandemic has caused greater job and income insecurity for young adults in their 20s and 30s – potentially disrupting their plans to start a family. Economic and personal anxieties can cause them to be late for having children; In some cases, a temporary postponement at birth could become permanent, the report said.
The birth rate in Japan reaches another record level in 2019

The bank warned that South Korea could soon have the largest proportion of the world’s elderly and called for stronger policies and birth incentives to support the country’s economy.

Other countries with low fertility rates have also seen their demographic difficulties deepen during the pandemic. Japan, which has struggled for years with low birth rates and an aging population, has seen the number of reported pregnancies and marriages fall in the first half of 2020.
In October, Japan’s state birth control minister, Tetsushi Sakamoto, told reporters that the pandemic could discourage people from becoming pregnant and starting families.
There are similar reasons behind the population decline, both in Japan and in South Korea – an important one being a demanding work culture that makes it difficult to balance careers with family life.

There is also a tendency to delay or avoid marriage. In 2018, most South Koreans between the ages of 20 and 44 were single, according to the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHSA). Of those who did not meet, 51% of men and 64% of women said they chose not to meet so that they could enjoy their hobbies or focus on education. Many say they simply do not have the time, money or emotional capacity to attend meetings.

In an effort to combat declining birth rates and marriages, the South Korean government has implemented a number of initiatives and policies. In 2018, the government reduced the maximum number of working hours from 68 hours per week to 52 hours last year, with some experts pointing to lower fertility rates as a motivator.

More recently, in December, the government launched the Fourth Basic Plan for the Low Fertility and Aging Society, which outlines its population policy plans for the next five years, including providing cash birth bonuses, childcare grants and extended benefits for multi-families of children.

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