[News in Numbers] First Decline in Parental Leave Since Statistics Began... Reason? "No Children to Care For"

The number of parental leave takers, which had been increasing every year, decreased for the first time last year. This is the first time since Statistics Korea began compiling related statistics in 2010 that the number of parental leave takers has declined compared to the previous year. Despite improvements in related systems and awareness, the decrease in parental leave takers is interpreted as a result of the sharp decline in births. It means there are fewer children to take care of during leave.

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According to Statistics Korea's '2023 Parental Leave Statistics,' the number of people who started parental leave last year for children aged 8 or younger, or in the second grade of elementary school or below, was 195,986, a 3.0% decrease compared to the previous year. This marks the first time since the statistics were compiled in 2010 that the growth rate turned negative.

The number of parental leave takers, which was about 73,000 in 2010, exceeded 140,000?about double?by 2015, and surpassed 200,000 in 2022. The number of fathers taking parental leave alone reached 54,000, which is interpreted as influenced by policies such as the '3+3 Parental Leave System' (where both parents taking leave receive increased leave pay rates for three months, etc.).

However, last year, the number of fathers taking parental leave dropped by 4,100 (-7.5%) to around 50,000. The number of mothers taking parental leave also decreased by nearly 2,000 (-1.4%), from about 147,500 to 145,500 during the same period. Statistics Korea analyzes that the overall decrease in the number of births led to fewer eligible candidates for parental leave.

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A survey of parents who used parental leave while raising children born in 2014 showed that mothers most frequently took parental leave when their child was 0 years old (83.5%), while fathers most frequently took parental leave when their child was 7 years old (17.9%). This means that mothers tend to take leave to care for newborns, while fathers often take leave during the kindergarten years.

However, the population of children aged 8 or younger, who are eligible for parental leave, decreased by 6.5% last year. The number of births also declined by 7.7%. The number of births sharply dropped from 249,186 in 2022 to 230,028 in 2023. This is the main reason for the decrease in parental leave takers.

Although the low birthrate trend continues, there is optimism that the birthrate will rebound this year. The total fertility rate in South Korea has steadily declined since 2015, when it was 1.24. However, if the recent trends of increasing marriages and births continue, the total fertility rate this year is expected to be around 0.74, higher than last year's 0.72. According to Statistics Korea, the number of births exceeded 20,000 for two consecutive months in July and August, and the number of marriages in August was 17,527, a 20.0% increase compared to the same month last year. The National Assembly Budget Office forecasted that "due to factors such as the recovery of delayed childbirth, the fertility rate will rise moderately by 0.2 from last year's 0.72 this year and continue to increase gradually until 2028."

Meanwhile, although the number of parental leave takers has decreased, the parental leave usage rate continues to rise. The usage rate of parental leave for babies born last year was 32.9%, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous year. Statistics Korea explained that while the total number of parental leave users decreased due to the declining population, the usage rate has increased thanks to improvements in the system.