South Korea's chronically low birthrate and rapidly aging population are now clearly impacting the country's economically active population,... but not only that... it's affecting the composition of households as well.<br />With several related figures hitting historic firsts,... the latest figures paint a gloomy picture for Korea going forward.<br />Kim Ji-yeon reports. <br /> For the first time in Korean history the country's economically active population of those aged between 15 and 64 contracted last year.<br /> Data released by Statistics Korea on Monday shows the demographic group dropped by zero-point-three-percent from the previous year to around 36-point-2-million in 2017.<br />It cites low birthrates and a rapidly aging population as the main reasons for the decline... adding that the number of those aged 65 years or older has climbed by more than 14-percent from a year earlier to more than seven-point-one-million last year.<br /> Meanwhile, those aged 14 or younger... increased by around 13-percent on-year to just over 6-point-6-million.<br /> In terms of households,....the total number surpassed the 20-million mark for the first time... mainly due to the growing trend toward smaller households.<br />Although the proportion of one or two-person households comprised a combined 50-percent, one-member households were the main family type in 2017... accounting for nearly 29-percent. <br /> Those aged 70 or older constituted a staggering 18-percent of single member households in 2017... followed by those in their thirties at around 17-percent.<br /> The general population of those living in Korea increased by zero-point-three-percent from the previous year to record over 51-point-4-million people as of November 2017.<br />Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News. <br />
