South Korea’s Birthrate Hits Rock Bottom – Population Shrinks Again

The number of newborns in November last year hit an all-time low for the same month. The population from January to November last year decreased by more than 100,000 due to the number of deaths outnumbered births.

According to the population trends for November 2023 announced by the National Statistical Office on the 24th, the number of newborns in November last year was 17,531, a decrease of 1,450 (7.6%) from the previous month. This figure is the lowest for November since related statistics were compiled in 1981.

While it is customary for the number of births to decline as the end of the year approaches, November 2023 was the first time when births fell below 18,000. The crude birth rate per 1,000 people decreased by 0.3 to 4.2 compared to a year ago.

In contrast, during the same period, the number of deaths was 32,255, an increase of 99 (0.3%) from the same month the previous year – this is the highest count for November.

As the number of births and deaths was low, the Korean population naturally decreased by 12,724 in November. The natural decrease in population has been ongoing for 49 months since 2019. Except for Sejong, all provinces nationwide experienced a natural decline in population.

Analyzing the cumulative total from January to November 2023, the population naturally decreased by 106,994. During this period, the number of deaths totaled 325,565, reflecting a 5.6% decrease compared to the previous year. Concurrently, the number of births was 213,572, an 8.1% decrease.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages was 16,695, a decrease of 760 (4.4%) from a year ago, and the number of divorces was 7,923, a decrease of 575 (6.8%).