Women in South Korea are choosing not to have children, but if the lack of reproduction continues, Korea's population is expected halve by the year 2100.
In 2022 South Korea saw its lowest fertility rate that the country has ever seen. The average number of babies for each woman measured at 0.78 and marked the world's lowest birth rate.
Today, the trend continues.
According to official figures released this month, the fertility rate has fallen by a staggering 8 per cent, measuring at a record low of 0.72 babies for each woman in 2023.
The data, which refers to the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, shows that South Korea's reproduction rate is the lowest in the world.
Reports note that, for a population to hold steady, the average number of children for each woman should be 2.1.
If women continue to avoid having children, over the next 50 years, South Korea will see its mandatory military service respondents shrink by 58 per cent and the number of working age people may be halved.
By 2074, according to Kostat, almost half of the population would be at the retirement age of 65 years old.
The falling birth rate, which has been dubbed "a national emergency" is also expected to heavily impact the country's economy and pension funds.
The Korean government has been tackling the falling fertility rate for almost 20 years, providing potential parents with monthly handouts to support housing bills and free taxis.
Considering just 2% of births in South Korea occurred outside of wedlock in 2022, in a bid to encourage more couples to have children, some nationals who are already married have also seen government funds put towards their IVF treatments and hospital bills.
While their tactics have not been effective, data published by the South Korea National Assembly Budget Office, shows that the government has already spent exactly 379.8 trillion KRW on the issue – equivalent to £226 billion.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol recently confirmed that the country has spent more than £160 billion on fixing the detrimental reproduction rate over the past 16 years.
However, the East Asian nation is not the only country who has seen a decreasing birth rate. Several developed countries have also witnessed a lack of reproduction in recent years due to economic influence and certain lifestyle choices.
Politicians have been forced to come up with "creative" solutions, including hiring nannies from other regions of South East Asia and keeping men from doing their military service if they have three or more children before turning 30.
Policymakers have since been criticised for invalidating a woman's right to choose whether they want to have children.
While South Korea began encouraging couples to have children in the 2000s, neighbouring Japan implemented policies to encourage couples to have more children in the 1990s.
Singapore has also introduced fertility policies, with the first one dating back to 1987.
China has also launched a campaign to boost its fertility rate after the nation saw its population had also decreased for the first time in 60 years.
