In the past decade, most developed countries around the world have faced the issue of "low birth rates", but no country is as extreme as South Korea. According to data from the Korean Statistical Office, South Korea's total fertility rate (Total Fertility Rate) fell to 0.72 in 2023, setting a world record low. This means that on average, a woman will give birth to less than one child in her lifetime, and to maintain a stable population, a birth rate of at least 2.1 is needed.
Simply put, if this trend continues, South Korea's population will rapidly shrink in the coming decades, with some predicting that by 2100, the population of South Korea may be only half of what it is now. So the question arises: why has South Korea become the country with the lowest fertility rate in the world?
The underlying reasons are not singular, but rather a whole set of intertwined social, economic, and cultural factors.
1. Housing prices and cost of living: Young people dare not even think about getting married
South Korea's housing prices have long remained high, especially in the capital, Seoul. Buying an ordinary apartment in Seoul often requires more than ten years or even twenty years of income for an average office worker.
In addition, South Korea has a special rental system - the Jeonse system. Tenants need to pay a huge deposit to landlords at once, which can amount to 50% to 70% of the housing price. For young people, this is almost an insurmountable threshold.
When a society even makes 'owning a house' a luxury, getting married and having children will naturally be delayed or even abandoned.
Many young South Koreans often say a phrase:
'If I can't support myself, how can I support a child?'
2. Education competition is too fierce: The cost of raising children is extremely high
South Korea's educational competition is famous worldwide. The most important exam each year - the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is seen as a crucial turning point in life.
To let children enter prestigious schools, many families invest huge amounts in tutoring fees. South Korea's tutoring centers are called 'Hagwon'.
In the most famous tutoring area in Seoul - Daechi-dong, parents may spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on tutoring for their children.
Therefore, many couples find after calculations that:
The cost of raising a child is too high
Raising two is almost impossible
The result is: simply not having children.
3. Extreme work culture: No time to raise children
South Korea's workplace culture is also considered one of the important reasons for declining birth rates.
In many companies, overtime is still taken for granted. South Korea used to be one of the countries with the longest working hours among OECD countries.
The reality faced by young people is:
Working 10 to 12 hours a day
Still having to socialize after work
May still have to work overtime on weekends
In such an environment, even if they marry, it is very difficult to find time to care for children.
The problem is even more severe for women. Many women find it difficult to continue their career development after getting married or having children. This has led many South Korean women to start choosing:
Don't get married, and don't have children.
4. Intensifying gender opposition: The appeal of marriage is declining
In recent years, there has been a strong 'gender opposition' in South Korean society.
Some women believe that society demands too much from women, for example:
Having children
Taking on household chores
Also having to work
Thus, a famous women's movement emerged in South Korea - the '4B Movement', advocating that:
Not dating
Not getting married
Not having children
Not having sexual relations with men
Such ideas resonate with some young female groups, further decreasing the marriage rate.
5. Changing values of the younger generation
In the past, Asian societies generally believed that:
Marriage and childbirth are essential stages of life.
But in South Korea, the mindset of the new generation of young people is changing.
More and more people believe that:
Life can have more choices
Not necessarily getting married
Not necessarily having children
Many young South Koreans place more importance on:
Personal freedom
Interests
Quality of life
Rather than the traditional family model.
6. The effects of government policies are limited
In fact, the South Korean government has long realized the seriousness of the problem.
Since 2006, the South Korean government has launched multiple fertility encouragement policies, including:
Childbirth subsidies
Childcare subsidies
Child-rearing allowances
Maternity leave system
The South Korean government has cumulatively invested over $200 billion to try to increase the birth rate.
But the effects are very limited.
The reason is:
Declining birth rates are not just a money issue, but a problem of the entire social structure.
If housing prices, educational pressure, and work culture do not change, even with more subsidies, many people are still unwilling to have children.
7. The future of the population crisis
If South Korea's fertility rate continues to hover around 0.7, several significant changes may occur in the coming decades:
Rapid aging of the population
The proportion of the elderly population is rising significantly.Labor shortage
Economic growth may slow down.National competitiveness is declining
The decrease in young population will affect innovation and industrial development.Social burdens are increasing
Increased retirement and healthcare expenses.
Therefore, some scholars have even proposed an extreme statement:
South Korea is experiencing a 'self-disappearance of the population'.
Conclusion: Declining birth rates are actually a mirror of the entire society
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world, which is not simply a matter of 'not wanting to have children'.
It reflects the entire social pressure structure:
High housing prices
High education costs
High work pressure
Gender opposition
Values change
When a society makes young people feel that 'the future is too difficult', having children is no longer taken for granted.
South Korea's situation is also reminding other countries:
If the social environment does not change, declining birth rates may become a problem that the entire world will face in the future.
