SEOUL, Oct 27 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea’s childbirth logged the lowest tally in Aug, fueling worries about a so-called demographic cliff, statistical office data showed today.
The number of newborn babies stood at 22,291 in Aug, down 0.5 percent from a year ago, according to Statistics Korea.
It continued to slide for 69 months since Dec, 2015, marking the lowest Aug reading since data began to be compiled in 1981.
The newborns were on the decline amid the social trend of delayed marriage and the lower number of women who are of childbearing age.
The number of marriages declined 2.1 percent over the year, to 14,720 in Aug, posting the lowest Aug figure.
The low birth rate boosted concerns about the demographic cliff, which refers to a drop in the heads of households, eventually leading to a consumption cliff.
The number of divorces slipped 0.9 percent to 8,376 in Aug, on a yearly basis.
The number of deaths increased 2.1 percent to 25,821 in the month. Given the death growth and the childbirth fall, the country’s population kept skidding for 22 straight months, since Nov, 2019.– NNN-YONHAP
