S. Korea's childbirths for Feb. mark lowest ever for month
2월 출생아 2만5700명...또 역대 최저
The latest figures from Statistics Korea show some concerning downward trends.
The birthrate for February hit a record low,... along with the marriage rate.
Kim Da-mi help us look beyond the digits.
This February marked the lowest birthrate for the month since data first started being compiled in 1981.
According to Statistics Korea a total of 25,700 babies were born,... almost 2,000 less compared to a year earlier.
This means that for every one thousand people,... only 6-point-5 babies were born in the month of February.
"Women aged between 30 and 34 give birth the most, but that population is decreasing, leading to the decline in childbirths."
Other experts are pointing to a change in opinions on marriage as opposed to the decrease in population as the main reason behind the decline.
"Women in South Korea have now become individuals who believe they deserve respect. In a society where patriarchal ideas remain, marriage and giving birth are seen as rather unfair."
The marriage rate for February reflects this reasoning. It also marked the lowest to ever be recorded for the month of February,... with only around 18,000 couples tying the knot.
And predictions for the rest of the year also look bleak.
According to the country's unique age system, everyone is 1 when they're born and turns 2, along with the New Year.
So South Koreans are said to prefer giving birth in earlier months to prevent their child turning 2 at the beginning of the year.
Considering such trend,... the birthrate is only expected to drop for the rest of the year,...with the total birthrate forecast to mark less than 300,000.
Acknowledging the demographic slide as inevitable, the government this month formed a task force... and will introduce welfare and education policies in June,.. to suit the country's rapidly declining population.
Kim Da-mi, Arirang News.
The latest figures from Statistics Korea show some concerning downward trends.
The birthrate for February hit a record low,... along with the marriage rate.
Kim Da-mi help us look beyond the digits.
This February marked the lowest birthrate for the month since data first started being compiled in 1981.
According to Statistics Korea a total of 25,700 babies were born,... almost 2,000 less compared to a year earlier.
This means that for every one thousand people,... only 6-point-5 babies were born in the month of February.
"Women aged between 30 and 34 give birth the most, but that population is decreasing, leading to the decline in childbirths."
Other experts are pointing to a change in opinions on marriage as opposed to the decrease in population as the main reason behind the decline.
"Women in South Korea have now become individuals who believe they deserve respect. In a society where patriarchal ideas remain, marriage and giving birth are seen as rather unfair."
The marriage rate for February reflects this reasoning. It also marked the lowest to ever be recorded for the month of February,... with only around 18,000 couples tying the knot.
And predictions for the rest of the year also look bleak.
According to the country's unique age system, everyone is 1 when they're born and turns 2, along with the New Year.
So South Koreans are said to prefer giving birth in earlier months to prevent their child turning 2 at the beginning of the year.
Considering such trend,... the birthrate is only expected to drop for the rest of the year,...with the total birthrate forecast to mark less than 300,000.
Acknowledging the demographic slide as inevitable, the government this month formed a task force... and will introduce welfare and education policies in June,.. to suit the country's rapidly declining population.
Kim Da-mi, Arirang News.