Fewer babies born in S. Korea in May

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- Fewer babies were born in South Korea in May compared
with the year before, reflecting a trend toward delaying marriage and an overall
declining birthrate, a report showed Monday.
According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) report, 35,900 babies were
born during the reported month, down 4.5 percent from the same month a year
earlier. This marked the 15th consecutive decline in childbirth since March last
year.
The NSO attributed the drop to more young people putting off marriage.
Concern is growing here that the falling birth rate will lead to a decline in the
national population in the coming decades, denting South Korea's growth
potential.
In an earlier report, the NSO forecast that South Korea's population will total
42.3 million people in 2050, 13.1 percent less than the 48.7 million recorded for
this year.
The number of marriages plunged 8 percent in May from a year earlier, with a
total of 28,400 couples tying the knot, according to the latest report by the
NSO.
Meanwhile, divorces fell 6.2 percent to 10,100 over the cited period, while
deaths totaled 21,300, up 4.9 percent from a year earlier, the report showed.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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