In 2023, the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child in South Korea was ***** years. The average age at childbirth in South Korea has risen steadily over the last decades.

Demographic development in South Korea in the final decades of the 21st century saw rapid change across its society. In South Korea, the average age of the population rose from below 20 years in the late-70s to around 45 years today, and it is projected to rise to over 62 years in 2074. With one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, population aging is one of the largest challenges facing South Korea today. If these projections come true, then South Korea is on course to soon have a smaller working-age population than its combined child and elderly populations. Recent years have shown population aging to be a compounding issue that exacerbates itself - young people often become responsible for providing care for elderly relatives, straining time and financial resources and dissuading many from having their own children. The state must also invest much more money into elderly care and healthcare, often redistributing resources that were previously invested in childcare and education. Although the state (and even some private companies) are now offering financial incentives for couples to have children, it remains to be seen whether these measures will be enough to reverse years of rapid population aging and declining fertility rates.

Between 2015 and 2020, the mean age for first-time mothers in South Korea was over 32 years, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast, Bangladesh and Nepal had the lowest mean age for women at their first childbirth.

Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 2.700 % in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.500 % for 2003. Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 2.600 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2010, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.700 % in 2010 and a record low of 2.500 % in 2003. Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting, female, is the percentage of girls under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

South Korea: Deaths of children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 3 deaths per 1000 births, unchanged from 3 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 25 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for South Korea from 1960 to 2022 is 29 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 3 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2016 while the maximum of 112 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1960.

Korea Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 0.300 % in 2010. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.600 % for 2003. Korea Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.450 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2010, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.600 % in 2003 and a record low of 0.300 % in 2010. Korea Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of underweight, female, is the percentage of girls under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

In 2024, the average age at which South Korean women married for the first time was 31.55 years, while for men, it was 33.86 years. The average age of both men and women marrying for the first time in South Korea has steadily increased in recent years. Shifting attitudes towards marriage The number of marriages in South Korea has been consistently declining. While the overall decrease in population may play a role, the most significant factor is the societal shift in the perception of marriage. According to a survey, nearly half of South Koreans consider marriage an option rather than a necessity. Some of the main reasons South Koreans choose to remain unmarried include concerns about raising children, high wedding expenses, and worries about their careers. Demographic implications As more South Koreans choose to marry later in life or not at all, this trend significantly impacts the country's demographic landscape. The declining birth rate and increasing life expectancy present challenges for the country's future, particularly regarding economic productivity and growth.

South Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5, Modeled Estimate data was reported at 1.800 % in 2024. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.800 % for 2023. South Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5, Modeled Estimate data is updated yearly, averaging 1.900 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2024, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.500 % in 2003 and a record low of 1.700 % in 2020. South Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5, Modeled Estimate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting is the percentage of children under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.;UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME).;Weighted average;Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF). Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition. Estimates are modeled estimates produced by the JME. Primary data sources of the anthropometric measurements are national surveys. These surveys are administered sporadically, resulting in sparse data for many countries. Furthermore, the trend of the indicators over time is usually not a straight line and varies by country. Tracking the current level and progress of indicators helps determine if countries are on track to meet certain thresholds, such as those indicated in the SDGs. Thus the JME developed statistical models and produced the modeled estimates.

North Korea: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 15 deaths per 1000 births, an increase from 14 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for North Korea from 1960 to 2022 is 50 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 14 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2021 while the maximum of 106 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1960.

North Korea: Deaths of children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 17 deaths per 1000 births, an increase from 16 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 25 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for North Korea from 1960 to 2022 is 55 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 16 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2021 while the maximum of 113 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1960.

This dataset is about countries per year in Korea. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and median age.

In 1900, the fertility rate in the region of present-day South Korea was six children per woman, meaning that the average woman born in South Korea in that year could expect to have six children over the course of their reproductive years. This number began to fluctuate in the 1930s, when the Japanese administration (the Korean peninsula had been annexed by Japan in 1910) promoted fertility as part of the war effort, before fertility dropped below 5.2 births per woman in the aftermath of the war. It then increased above 6.3 in the 1950s due to the devastation and mass-displacement caused by the Korean War. As stability returned to the region, South Korea's fertility rate would fall sharply throughout the remainder of the century, as modernization, urbanization, and the implementation of family planning programs would see fertility fall to just over 1.5 children per woman by 1990.

Sex-selective abortion and gender ratios Abortion was illegal in South Korea between 1953 and 2020, although it was permitted in some cases from 1973 onward. Despite this, these laws were rarely enforced, and sex-selective abortion became widespread following advancements in ultrasound technology. In many Asian societies, it was often preferred to have male children as they were viewed as being better long-term providers for their parents and they would carry on the family name. In South Korea in the early 1990s, the practice of sex-selective abortion became so widespread that the gender ratio at birth was 114 males for every 100 females (reportedly as high as 125 in some cities), compared to the historical and natural average of approximately 105 males per 100 females. The government then prohibited doctors from revealing the gender of unborn babies to the parents in 1987, and introduced more severe penalties in 1994, in an attempt to revert this trend. The gender imbalance then reduced in the following decades, and has been at 106 males per 100 females since the 2010s (roughly the natural average). Abortion rights in South Korea were expanded in 2021.

Lowest in the world? Despite government initiatives aimed at increasing fertility, including financial incentives, South Korea's fertility rate has continued to fall in recent years, and today is at around half of replacement level. In 2020, it is estimated that the average woman born in South Korea will have just over one child over the course of their reproductive years. Some critics cite economic factors, such as high education and housing costs, for the reason that young couples are postponing marriage and having families; today, South Korea has the lowest adolescent fertility rate, and the lowest overall fertility rate in the Asia Pacific region. Due to the current trajectory of South Korea's fertility rate, in January 2021, it was announced that the South Korean population experienced a natural decline for the first time in it's history.

In South Korea, approximately 70.69 percent of the population was between 15 and 64 years old in 2023, while those above the age of 64 made up around 18.34 percent. The youngest generation made up an even smaller percentage than the elderly, but were the only group that did not increase in size over the last decade, partly due to a decrease in births since 2007. Reasons for fewer children While it is not always the case that family sizes shrink when there are less births per woman, the fertility rate in South Korea is undisputably decreasing overall and less children are born. The reasons people cite for having fewer children vary greatly by gender and marital status in South Korea: For example, more married people than singles - and of those more married women than men - say that the difficulty of maintaining a work life balance is the largest concern for them. Meanwhile, men express more economic concerns about child support, and notably more singles nowadays say they feel no need to have children.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in *************, children's programs had the highest viewership rating among boys between **** and nine years of age, lying at **** percent. This genre was generally most popular among children as well as age groups that tend to deal most with children, such as parents or grandparents. Total average viewership that month amounted to around **** percent.

North Korea KP: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 15.200 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.800 % for 2009. North Korea KP: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 19.700 % from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55.500 % in 1998 and a record low of 15.200 % in 2012. North Korea KP: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of underweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's child growth standards released in 2006.; ; UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child malnutrition estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 2.400 % in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.400 % for 2003. Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 2.400 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2010, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.400 % in 2010 and a record low of 2.400 % in 2010. Korea Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting, male, is the percentage of boys under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, the average age at which respondents started playing PC games stood at 16.6 years. This made it the gaming platform with the lowest average starting age. In contrast, the average age for mobile games lay at 24.5 years.

Korea Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: % of Primary School Age Children data was reported at 97.343 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 94.672 % for 2014. Korea Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: % of Primary School Age Children data is updated yearly, averaging 98.687 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.947 % in 1980 and a record low of 94.451 % in 2013. Korea Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate: Primary: % of Primary School Age Children data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Adjusted net enrollment is the number of pupils of the school-age group for primary education, enrolled either in primary or secondary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 37.717 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37.150 % for 2016. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 46.447 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.414 % in 1962 and a record low of 36.323 % in 2013. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in December 2023, children's programs had the highest watch time among boys between the ages of **** and nine years, at an average of around ** minutes. This genre was generally the most watched among children and age groups commonly dealing with children, such as parents or grandparents. Total average watch time that month amounted to around ** minutes.