Arr, matey! North Korea's babe-making slows to a measly 1.38, says those South Korean scallywags.
2023-12-30
Arrr, me hearties! Word be comin' from South Korea's treasure vault that North Korea's motley crew be sailin' into troubled waters! Their land be sufferin' a free-fall in population as fertility rates be sinkin' like a scurvy dog's morale for decades. Aye, the winds of change be blowin'!
North Korea is facing a significant decline in fertility rates, according to South Korea's central bank. The Bank of Korea's Economic Research Institute released data stating that the fertility rate in North Korea has dropped to as low as 1.38, a figure far below what is needed to replace the aging population. The report highlighted a downward trend in fertility rates over the years, with the rate being 1.91 in the 1990s, 1.59 in the 2000s, and 1.38 in the 2010s. This aligns with testimonies from defectors indicating that women born in the 1970s and 1980s are generally only having one child. The data was gathered using imperfect methodology, relying on testimonies from escaped North Korean citizens.The reasons behind the decline in fertility rates are attributed to late marriage among urban women and a decrease in fertility due to increased participation in the job market. Even though North Korea is a low-income country, its total fertility rate remains unusually low. Interestingly, it is commonly observed that birthrates tend to decrease as income levels rise. North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un recently praised the nation's mothers in a speech, emphasizing their role in raising children to become pillars of socialist and communist construction. North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, operates under the ideology of juche, which is characterized by a cult of personality and enthusiastic nationalism. The declining fertility rates in the country pose a significant challenge for sustaining its population and finding a balance between economic development and demographic stability.