The number of newborn babies slipped 7.7 percent over the year to 21,442 in January, marking the lowest January figure since relevant data began to be compiled in 1981, according to Statistics Korea.
The newborns had been on the decline since October 2022 as young couples delayed or gave up on having children due to economic difficulties such as high housing prices and stubborn unemployment.
The low birth rate fueled worry about the demographic cliff, which refers to a sharp fall in the heads of households eventually leading to a consumption cliff.
The number of marriages gained 11.6 percent to 20,008 in January compared to the same month of last year, while the number of divorces increased 9.5 percent to 7,940.
The number of deaths shrank 0.5 percent to 32,490 in the cited month.
Affected by the still high deaths and the lower births, the population of South Korea continued to decrease for the 51st straight month since November 2019.
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