SEOUL, SEPT 23 – South Korea is expected to experience a significant population decline in the next 50 years and its global ranking in the list of most populous countries will drop by 30 places due to an ultra-low birth rate and rapid aging, according to data released yesterday. .
The country’s population is expected to decline to 36 million in 2072, down 30.8 percent from 52 million this year.
South Korea’s population reached its peak in 2020 and has shown a decline, news agencies reported Yonhapciting data from Statistics Korea.
However, the world’s population is predicted to continue to increase during the mentioned period, reaching 10.22 billion in 2072, compared to an estimated 8.16 billion this year.
South Korea was ranked the 29th most populous country in the world in 2024, but this position is expected to drop to 59th in 2072, according to the agency.
The country is facing serious demographic challenges as many young people choose to delay or cancel their desire to marry or have children in line with changing social norms and lifestyles, as well as in difficult job market conditions and rising house prices.
The fertility rate, which is the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, hit a new low of 0.72 in 2023, down from 0.78 the previous year. – Named
