Half of Young South Koreans Worry About This... Reasons for Ultra-Low Birth Rate Differ Sharply from Other Countries

South Korea Shows Significantly Higher Agreement That
"Economic Burden Increases After Childbirth"
Social Perceptions Also More Negative

When deciding whether to have children, it was found that young people in South Korea consider more factors-such as economic conditions and future uncertainty-than their counterparts in Germany, Japan, France, or Sweden. Concerns about the economic burden and opportunity costs associated with childbirth are also greater in South Korea, and perceptions of society are the most negative among the countries surveyed. Analysts say that these differences in perceptions and values reveal the structural causes behind South Korea's ultra-low birth rate.

Newborn babies lying in the neonatal room.

The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released the results of a survey on August 14, published in the August issue of the Health and Welfare Forum. The survey targeted 2,500 adults aged 20 to 49 in each of five countries-including South Korea-and asked about their views on marriage, childbirth, parenting, and population policy. The survey was conducted online using the same questionnaire from June to September of last year.

According to the survey, among people who are not currently married, South Korea had the highest intention to marry at 52.9%. This was followed by Sweden at 50.2%, Germany at 46.5%, France at 38.2%, and Japan at 32.0%. However, when it came to the intention to have children, Sweden ranked highest at 43.2%, followed by France at 38.8%, Germany at 38.6%, South Korea at 31.2%, and Japan at 20.3%. In Japan, however, the proportion of respondents who answered "I haven't decided yet" or "I've never thought about it" was higher than in South Korea, while the percentage who answered "I do not intend to have children" was higher in South Korea (47.3%) than in Japan (45.9%).

Among those who do intend to have children, the average number of children planned was lowest in South Korea at 1.74. Germany was highest at 2.4, followed by Sweden at 2.35, France at 2.11, and Japan at 1.96. In reality, South Korea's first-child birth rate is not particularly low among OECD countries, but its birth rate for third or subsequent children is known to be the lowest.

South Korea: Significantly Higher Agreement That "Economic Burden Increases After Childbirth"... More Negative Social Perceptions

The survey results on perceptions related to childbirth revealed some of the causes behind South Korea's low birth rate.

When asked about factors considered when planning for childbirth, South Koreans placed greater importance on all factors-including "household economic conditions," "housing conditions," and "risk of career interruption"-than respondents in other countries. In particular, more than half of South Koreans (50.1%) cited "future uncertainty" as a very important consideration, significantly higher than in Japan (30.5%) or Sweden (22.5%). These results show that South Koreans weigh more factors when making decisions about childbirth.

Survey results on the impact of childbirth on life also showed that 59.9% of South Koreans "completely agree" that "the economic burden increases," a much higher proportion than in other countries. For the same item, the rates were 35.6% in France, 35.0% in Japan, and 25.2% in Sweden. South Korea also had the highest proportion of respondents who believed that "the possibility of freely doing what one wants decreases" and that "either I or my spouse will have fewer opportunities to work."

In response to questions about the difficulty of balancing work, housework, and childcare, 57.6% of South Koreans said it was difficult, higher than in Japan (55.8%), France (47.3%), or Sweden (23.2%). In terms of social perceptions, when asked to rate agreement with the statement "society is generally fair" on a five-point scale, South Korea scored only 2.35 points. Germany and France scored around 2.8 points. In addition, South Koreans were more likely to agree with statements such as "the income gap is too large" and "the wealthiest 1% own too much of the assets." Overall, South Koreans had a more negative perception of society.

All four countries compared in this survey-Germany, Japan, France, and Sweden-are experiencing declining birth rates, but their total fertility rates remain well above South Korea's 0.75. The research team analyzed that differences in perceptions and values regarding childbirth and society are influencing family formation and decisions about having children in each country.

The researchers emphasized, "Perceptions of marriage, childbirth, and parenting are not simply matters of individual choice, but structural issues shaped by specific social conditions such as the ability to balance work and family, the possibility of maintaining a career, and the effectiveness of policies. Future population policies must move toward comprehensive changes in these structural conditions."