South Korea’s Fertility Rate , Declines Again in 2023.<br />South Korea, which already had the lowest fertility rate in the world, continues to see declines in births, NBC News reports. .<br />This is the fourth consecutive year that fertility rates have dropped in the country.<br />According to data from Statistics Korea, the average number of expected births during a woman's <br />lifetime fell from 0.78 in 2022 to 0.72 in 2023.<br />That number is extremely below the rate of 2.1 births per person needed to maintain a steady population, NBC News reports.<br />Additionally, Korean women only earn <br />about two-thirds of what men get paid, .<br />which amounts to the worst gender pay gap <br />in the Organization for Economic <br />Cooperation and Development (OECD).<br />The pay disparity plays a part in women waiting to have children, NBC News reports. .<br />Women typically can’t build on <br />their experience to climb higher at <br />workplaces because they are often <br />... the only one doing the child care <br />(and) often need to rejoin the work <br />force after extended leaves, Jung Jae-hoon, a professor at <br />Seoul Women’s University, via NBC News.<br />Having a baby is on my list, but there’s windows for promotions and I don’t want to be passed over, Gwak Tae-hee, 34, a junior manager <br />at a Korean dairy product maker, via NBC News.<br />South Korea is slated to have elections in April, <br />and taking action to avoid "national extinction" remains a top concern, NBC News reports. .<br />There are people who don’t get married <br />but we think about why married couples <br />choose not to have babies, and my <br />understanding is that addressing that <br />part is going to be the focus of our <br />policies (to boost the birth rate), Official at Statistics Korea, via briefing
