[Graphic News] South Korea has fewest children among major nations

A recent study has revealed that South Korea has the lowest proportion of children among countries with populations exceeding 40 million.

According to research based on the Japanese government’s analysis of a United Nations population report, children aged 14 and under account for just 10.6 percent of South Korea’s total population as of July 1. This is the lowest figure among 37 countries with more than 40 million people.

South Korea has held the bottom spot on the list since 2020, overtaking Japan, which previously had the lowest proportion of children. This year, Japan’s figure stands at 11.4 percent, the lowest since records began in 1950. Other countries with similarly low proportions of children include Italy (11.9 percent), Spain (12.9 percent), Germany (13.9 percent) and Thailand (14.7 percent).

According to Statistics Korea, the share of children in South Korea’s population is expected to fall below 10 percent by 2026, and drop further to under 9 percent by 2029.