Korea’s Birthrate Hits All-Time Low

A study revealed that Korea’s birthrate ranked the lowest in the world.

A report called the “2006 world census” released on August 17 by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), the U.S.- based nonprofit institute for demographical research, revealed that Korea ranked the lowest with a 1.1 birth rate (South Korean women give birth to an average of 1.1 children) along with Taiwan (Hong Kong and Macao have lower birth rates but are considered as being part of China). Last year, Korea’s birthrate was 1.2 babies per woman.

North Korea’s birthrate recorded 2.0 while Singapore, Belarus and Ukraine followed right after Korea with the second lowest birth rate of 1.2.

South Korea’s birth rate (newborn babies over the total population in one year) was recorded at nine babies per 1,000 people, whereas its death rate is five per 1,000 people and the rate of natural increase in population was 0.4 percent this year. Last year marked a 0.5 percent in population increase. If the tendency continues, 48.50 million of the total population this year will increase to 49.80 million in 2025 but decrease by 13 percent to 42.30 million in 2050.

The population under 15 years of age consists of 19 percent while the over-65 age group constitutes 10 percent of the total population. The average length of life in Korea is 77 years of age with 81 years for females and 74 years for males.

North Korea’s population is expected to continue to grow from 23.10 million as of the middle of the year to 25.80 million in 2025 and to 26.40 million in 2050. Its birth rate is 16 babies per 1,000 people while the death rate is seven per 1,000 people, and the natural increase in population records at 0.9 percent.

As for the longevity, Japan ranked at the top with an average of 82 years of age (86 years for females, and 79 years of age for males).