In 2024, the birth rate in South Korea stood at 0.75 births per woman. The country has long struggled with a declining birth rate, dropping below one birth per woman in 2018.

In 2024, the number of births in South Korea stood at *******, a slight increase compared to the previous year. Around two decades earlier, this number was twice as high. Declining fertility in South Korea A phenomenon that most East Asian countries and territories grapple with is a stark decline in fertility rates. This is especially evident in South Korea, which has the lowest fertility rate in the world, far below the 2.1 children per woman threshold that represents replacement fertility. In response to the expected economic consequences of a declining population, South Korea has implemented various initiatives to encourage married couples to have children. Factors contributing to low birth rates in South Korea One major element is the societal change in attitudes toward childbirth. In a survey, half of the South Korean respondents asserted that marriages can be happy without children, and a sizable share also stated that having children was dependent on economic factors. In addition, an increasing number of South Koreans are choosing not to get married. In 2023, South Korea recorded one of the lowest numbers of marriages in its history. Furthermore, there has been a growing trend among South Korean women to prioritize their financial independence and career continuity over traditional expectations of childbearing.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in South Korea was reported at 4.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2024. All figures are estimates. In 2024, the fertility rate in Taiwan was estimated to be at 1.11 children per woman, making it the lowest fertility rate worldwide. Fertility rate The fertility rate is the average number of children born per woman of child-bearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her child-bearing years. The fertility rate of a country provides an insight into its economic state, as well as the level of health and education of its population. Developing countries usually have a higher fertility rate due to lack of access to birth control and contraception, and to women usually foregoing a higher education, or even any education at all, in favor of taking care of housework. Many families in poorer countries also need their children to help provide for the family by starting to work early and/or as caretakers for their parents in old age. In developed countries, fertility rates and birth rates are usually much lower, as birth control is easier to obtain and women often choose a career before becoming a mother. Additionally, if the number of women of child-bearing age declines, so does the fertility rate of a country. As can be seen above, countries like Hong Kong are a good example for women leaving the patriarchal structures and focusing on their own career instead of becoming a mother at a young age, causing a decline of the country’s fertility rate. A look at the fertility rate per woman worldwide by income group also shows that women with a low income tend to have more children than those with a high income. The United States are neither among the countries with the lowest, nor among those with the highest fertility rate, by the way. At 2.08 children per woman, the fertility rate in the US has been continuously slightly below the global average of about 2.4 children per woman over the last decade.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in South Korea was reported at 0.721 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the Republic of Korea (SPDYNTFRTINKOR) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, Korea, and rate.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in South Korea decreased by 0.1 children per woman (-12.82 percent) compared to 2022. Therefore, the fertility rate in South Korea saw its lowest number in that year with 0.72 children per woman. The total fertility rate is the average number of children that a woman of childbearing age (generally considered 15 to 44 years) can hypothetically expect to have throughout her reproductive years. As fertility rates are estimates (similar to life expectancy), they refer to a hypothetical woman or cohort, and estimates assume that current age-specific fertility trends would remain constant throughout this person's reproductive years.Find more statistics on other topics about South Korea with key insights such as total life expectancy at birth, age dependency ratio, and infant mortality rate.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in North Korea was reported at 12.95 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

With an average of *** births per woman, Afghanistan had the highest fertility rate throughout the Asia-Pacific region in 2024. Pakistan and Papua New Guinea followed with the second and third-highest fertility rates, respectively. In contrast, South Korea and Hong Kong had the lowest fertility rates across the region. Contraception usage Fertility rates among women in the Asia-Pacific region have fallen throughout recent years. A likely reason is an increase in contraception use. However, contraception usage varies greatly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Although contraception prevalence is set to increase across South Asia by 2030, women in both East Asia and Southeast Asia had higher contraception usage compared to South Asia in 2019. Women in APAC With the rise of feminism and the advancement of human rights, attitudes towards the role of women have changed in the Asia-Pacific region. Achieving gender equality has become a vital necessity for both men and women throughout the region. Alongside changes in traditional gender roles, women in certain Asia-Pacific countries, such as New Zealand, have become more inclined to marry later in life. Furthermore, the focus for younger women appears to be with having stability in their lives and securing an enjoyable job. This was displayed when female high school students in Japan were questioned about their future life aspirations.

Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) in North Korea was reported at 0.512 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in North Korea was reported at 1.78 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, over ** percent of male respondents cited financial concerns as the main reason for not getting married. Among female respondents, the primary reason was not having found the right person, with **** percent of responses. Declining marriage rate In South Korea, marriages have gradually decreased, falling below ******* per year. Alongside this decrease in marriages, the country has seen a significant drop in birth rates, which stood at **** births per woman in 2024. Births per woman dropped below one in 2018 and have declined since. Changing roles of women Many South Korean women are becoming career-driven, prioritizing work over starting a family early. This trend has become evident in South Korea's employment rates. The number of employed women has gradually risen over the years, but has remained lower than that of men. Despite this progress, gender inequality in employment and the pay gap continue to be significant issues. Although this number has declined, many women still leave the workforce after marriage.

In 2021, there were 11.6 births per 1,000 people in Northern Ireland, compared with eleven in the previous year. Between 2000 and 2008, Northern Ireland's birth rate increased from 12.8 to 14.4 but started to decline gradually until 2012 when it dropped from 13.9 to 13.3 in just one year. During this provided time period, the birth rate in Northern Ireland was highest in 1971, when it was 20.6 and was at its lowest in 2020 when there were just eleven births per 1,000 people. Falling birth rates in the UK For the United Kingdom as a whole, the birth rate fell to 10.2 births per 1,000 people in 2020, before a slight uptick to 10.4 in 2021. After a postwar peak of 18.8 births per 1,000 people in 1964, the UK birth rate fell sharply to just 11.7 by 1977. Between 1977 and 2012 the birth rate fluctuated between 11.3 and 13.9, but declined in every year between 2012 and 2020. In 2021, the UK's fertility rate (the number of births per women) fell to just 1.53, compared with 2.95 in 1964. Since 1973, the UK has fallen below the minimum replacement level fertility rate of 2.1, and without immigration would likely see its population decline in the long term. Global demographic trends The considerable decline in the UK's fertility rate in recent decades is not an isolated phenomenon. As of 2024, Africa was, at 4.12, the only continent to have a fertility rate higher than the global average of 2.31. Several countries, mainly in East Asia and Europe, have far lower fertility rates than the UK or the global average, however. South Korea provides the most dramatic example of this trend, with its fertility rate falling from 6.33 in 1960 to just 1.11 by 2020. By the 2080s, it is expected that, as Africa's fertility rate converges with the rest of the world, the global population will peak at around 10.4 billion and start to decline.

Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.070 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.070 Ratio for 2015. Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.070 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.140 Ratio in 1992 and a record low of 1.070 Ratio in 2016. Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) in South Korea was reported at 1.058 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The statistic shows the total population of South Korea from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of South Korea was about 51.75 million people. Population of South Korea South Korea, also called Republic of Korea, has one of the highest population densities worldwide, i.e. a very high number of inhabitants per square kilometer. However, this does not equal bad standard of living; on the Human Development Index, which ranks countries by their level of living standards using key factors, such as unemployment rate, literacy rate, fertility and mortality rates, etc., South Korea is among the highest-ranked countries. When looking at the aforementioned key factors, South Korea indeed seems to offer a fairly stable environment for its inhabitants, economically and demographically: The country’s unemployment rate has been relatively steady for the past decade, its gross domestic product (GDP) is constantly increasing, and it is among the countries with the highest trade surplus worldwide. As for standard of living, life expectancy at birth in South Korea is among the highest worldwide – South Korea is even mentioned in a recent ranking of the best birthplaces for children. Despite the high population density, South Korea is now one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates, i.e. the number of babies born by women of childbearing age. This apparent discrepancy could be explained by a high number of immigrants coupled with the aforementioned high life expectancy.

The fertility rates have fallen in all five Nordic countries over the last years. However, in 2021, the birth rates increased again in all five Nordics countries, besides in Sweden, where the fertility rate stayed the same. This can be explained by the higher number of babies born during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Iceland had the highest fertility rate of the Nordic countries, with 1.6 children born per woman in reproductive age. The global trend of decreasing fertility The Nordics are not the only region with decreasing fertility rates. Globally, fertility rates have been on a steady decline since 2000. While lower-income countries have had more significant declines, they still have more children born per woman than higher-income countries. In 2000, almost 6 children were born per woman in low-income countries, decreasing to 4.62 in 2021. By comparison, nearly 1.71 children were born per woman in high-income countries, falling slightly to 1.55 by 2021. Overall, in 2023, Niger, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo had the highest fertility rates, while Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore had the lowest fertility rates. Impacts of low fertility Greater access to education, challenges between work-life balance, and the costs of raising children can all be linked to falling fertility rates. However, this decline is not without consequences, and many countries are facing social and economic challenges because of aging and shrinking populations. For example, in Japan, where nearly 30 percent of the country is aged 65 or older, an increasing proportion of the government expenditure is going towards social security benefits. Moreover, the very low unemployment rate in Japan can partially be attributed to having a shrinking labor force and fewer people to support the economy.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the Cradles Market Size is USD XX million in 2024 and is set to achieve a market size of USD XX million by the end of 2033, growing at a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2033. North America dominated the market and held a share of XX% in the year 2024 Europe held a share of XX% in the year 2024 Asia-Pacific was the fastest growing segment and held a share of XX% in the year 2024 South America held a share of XX% in the year 2024 Middle East and Africa held a share of XX% in the year 2024 Market Dynamics of the Cradles Market

Driver of the Cradles Market

Growing awareness of safe sleep practices is driving the demand for the Cradle Market

Increasing awareness of safe sleep practices, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for infant sleep safety, drives the demand for cradles that meet these standards. As parents become increasingly informed about the importance of safe sleep environments, they are seeking cradles that meet these standards and provide comfort spacing for their babies. This trend is fueled by recommendations from reputed organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, which emphasizes the importance of safe sleep to reduce risks of SIDS and other sleep-related risks. Diagniologists advise families to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death by placing infants on their backs in their own sleep space, using a crib, bassinet, or play yard with a firm mattress and fitted sheet, avoiding sleep on a couch or armchair, keeping loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items out of the sleep space, breastfeeding if possible, and avoiding smoking. As a result, parents are actively seeking out cradles that are designed with safety and health in mind. They want products that exceed safety standards, like sturdy construction, secure fastening systems, and breathable material. The demand for safe and healthy sleep is also driven by the growing awareness of the importance of sleep for infant development. Research has shown that sleep plays a beneficial role in brain development, physical growth, and emotional well-being. The early years of life are characterized by dramatic developmental changes. Within this important period lies the transition from newborn to childhood. Sleep is one of the primary activities of the brain during early development and plays an important role in healthy cognitive and psychosocial development in early life. The demand for cradles that prioritize safety, comfort, and healthy sleep habits is driven by factors like growing awareness of safe sleep habits and rising parental concerns about infant health and well-being. Restraint of the Cradles Market

The demand for the cradles market is restrained by declining birth rates in many countries and the increasing popularity of alternative sleeping options.

The demand for cradles is restrained by declining birth rates in many countries, particularly in developed economies. This demographic trend reduces the potential market size for cradles, making it challenging for manufacturers to maintain their sales. The global TFR has more than halved over the past 70 years, from around five children for each female in 1950 to 2.2 children in 2021—with over half of all countries and territories (110 of 204) below the population replacement level of 2.1 births per female as of 2021. This trend is particularly worrying for places such as South Korea and Serbia, where the rate is less than 1.1 children for each female. Another restraint is the increasing popularity of alternative sleeping options for infants, such as co-sleeping, bed-sharing, or using playards and bassinets. These alternatives may appeal to parents who value convenience, flexibility, or cultural traditions, potentially reducing demand for traditional cradles. The trend towards minimalism and simplicity in parenting may also contribute to reduced demand for cradles. Some parents opt for more basic, space-saving sleeping solutions rather than investing in cradles, which are expensive and occupy space. These restraints underscore the need to innovate and adapt to consumer preferences and target niche markets to maintain demand and drive growth. Introduction to the Cradles Market.

The cradle market is a rapidly evolving industry that prioritizes child safety and comfort. This is a traditional market that provides sleeping solutions for infants. Cradle...

In 2023, the average life expectancy of women at birth in South Korea was **** years. The life expectancy of women in South Korea has steadily increased over the past decades. Rising life expectancy In South Korea, women had a significantly higher life expectancy at birth than men, with a difference of around six years. Over the past few decades, the overall life expectancy for both genders has increased, reaching nearly 83 years. This places South Korea's life expectancy significantly higher in international comparisons. Aging population South Korea's population is experiencing significant demographic changes. Life expectancy is increasing due to improved healthcare and living standards, while the fertility rate has dropped to a historically low level. This demographic shift is expected to persist in the coming years. In December 2024, South Korea became a "super-aged society," with over ** percent of the population being 65 years or older. If this trend persists, the country's total population is estimated to decrease to around ********** of the current population. Despite efforts to address the declining birth rate, South Korea has not been successful in reversing this trend.