Number of Deaths in April Up 46.3% YoY... Korean Population Naturally Declines for 30 Consecutive Months

Population Trends

(Source: Statistics Korea)

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seon-hee] Due to the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the number of deaths in April increased by 46.3% compared to the same month last year. While the number of deaths surged sharply, the number of births declined, leading to a natural decrease in South Korea's population for 30 consecutive months.

According to the 'April Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 22nd, the number of deaths in April was 36,697, a 46.3% increase compared to the same month last year. Although this is slightly lower than the record high of 44,487 deaths in March, the spread of COVID-19 means the number remains significantly higher than the previous year.

The number of births in April was 21,124, a 7.0% decrease compared to the same month last year. The cumulative number of births from the beginning of this year through April was 89,300, a 3.9% decrease compared to the same period last year. When examined by region, all cities and provinces nationwide showed a decrease.

(Source: Statistics Korea)

As deaths increased and births decreased, the natural population change in April (number of births minus number of deaths) was a natural decrease of 15,573. South Korea's population has been declining for 30 consecutive months since November 2019.

The number of marriages in April was 15,795, a 0.4% decrease compared to the same month last year, while the number of divorces during the same period was 7,198, a 20.4% decrease.