Declining Birthrates Continue to Plague Korea and Japan
South Korea continues to experience a natural decrease in population as the fertility rate drops to a record low of 0.7, resulting in 91 consecutive months of declining births. The number of deaths has increased by 7.6 percent, contributing to a net natural decrease in population. The data also shows a rise in marriages and divorces, with delayed weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic being a factor. In the second quarter, births decreased by 6.8 percent, while deaths fell by 7.9 percent, leading to a net natural decrease of 27,272 in the population.