February 20, 2020 | News | Fertility in the Republic of Korea

Lowest Fertility Rate Worldwide

In South Korea, fewer and fewer children are being born per woman. © iStockphoto.com/W6

Fertility data for the Republic of Korea were updated through 2018 by the Human Fertility Database. Korea's Total Fertility Rate hit a record low level of 0.98 children per women in 2018. In no country were fewer children born per woman.

In 2005, the fertility level in South Korea dropped significantly and was at a record low of 1.09 children per woman. In the following 10 years the fertility recovered with slight fluctuations. Since 2015, however, a clear downward trend can be seen, which led to a new record low last year.

Moreover, women in the Republic of Korea give birth to their first child at increasingly higher ages. The mean age at first birth in 2018 was just under 32 years. This means it has risen by more than four years between 2000 and 2018.