Population in South Korea drops more rapidly than a decade ago

The declining fertility rate in South Korea has resulted in a natural decrease in population in eight out of ten cities, counties and districts across the nation as well as a drop in the number of childcare centers, while the number of facilities catering to the elderly has seen a rapid increase.

According to recent data from Statistics Korea on Sunday, as of 2021, 182 out of the nation’s 228 municipalities, counties, districts and regions, including Sejong City and Jeju Island, experienced a natural decline in population. The data suggest that deaths surpassed new births in 80 percent of the cities, counties and districts.

Compared with a decade ago, the number of localities with a natural population decline has doubled. In 2011, only 88 out of the 229 localities, or 38.4 percent, witnessed a natural decrease.

Within Seoul, more than half of the city’s 25 districts experienced a natural population decline, specifically 16 out of 25, or 64 percent, in 2021. It was in stark contrast to the situation in 2011 when none of Seoul‘s districts encountered a natural population decline. Similarly, in Busan, the number of districts with a natural population decline increased to 14 in 2021 from four in 2011. In Gangwon and North Jeolla provinces, all municipalities experienced a natural population decline in 2021.

South Korea’s overall population began to naturally decline in 2020 due to the persistent decrease in birth rates.

As the number of births continues to decline and the elderly population grows rapidly, the availability of daycare centers has dropped while the number of senior welfare facilities has surged. The Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that by the end of last year, there were 30,923 daycare centers nationwide, which marked a fall of 9,315 compared with the end of 2017.

Conversely, the number of elderly welfare facilities increased to 89,643 in 2022 from 76,371 at the end of 2017, reflecting a significant increase of 13,272, or 17 percent, in just five years.