S. Korea’s population falls for third year as births in October at record low

Empty maternity ward [Photo by Han Joo-hyung]

South Korea’s population shrunk for a third year as the number of newborns reached the lowest on record in October while more people died due to the pandemic, raising concerns about the country’s aging population.

According to data from Statistics Korea, a total of 20,658 babies were born in October, down 0.4 percent from a year ago. The figure is the lowest since 1981, when the statistics agency started compiling demographic data. October was also the 83rd consecutive month of an on-year decline. The crude birth rate, indicating the number of live births per 1,000 people, also recorded a low of 4.7. Sejong City, the administrative capital of the nation, recorded the highest number at 8, while North Jeolla province posted the lowest at 3.

On the other hand, the number of deaths in the month stood at 29,763, climbing 7.3 percent from a year ago. As a result, the natural decline in population in October reached 9,104, posting a decline for 36 months since November 2019. The natural drop in the first ten months of the year reached 95,879. “The number of deaths among senior citizens has increased amid the pandemic,” said an official from the statistics agency.

The number of marriages in October rose 4.1 percent on-year to 15,832, while divorces were down 3.1 percent to 7,466.