LOW BIRTH RATE IN SOUTH KOREA

Аннотация

South Korea, despite being an economically developed country known for its technological innovations, is facing a low birth rate. The reasons for this phenomenon are related to a number of social, economic and cultural factors. Social pressures, family relationships and the changing importance of marriage also play an important role. Many young people prefer to avoid ordelay marriage, which leads toa decrease in thebirth rate. Key words: birth rate, economic factors, cultural factors, social factors, career, social pressure, educational programs, economic growth, young families, female employment. Annotatsiya:Janubiy Koreya, iqtisodiy jihatdan rivojlangan va texnologik innovatsiyalar bilan tanilgan mamlakat bo‘lishiga qaramay, tug‘ilish darajasining pastligi bilan yuzma-yuz kelmoqda. Ushbu fenomenning sabablari bir qator ijtimoiy, iqtisodiy va madaniy omillar bilan bog‘liq. Shuningdek, ijtimoiy bosimlar, oilaviy munosabatlar va nikohning o‘zgaruvchan ahamiyati ham muhim rol o‘ynamoqda. Ko‘plab yoshlar nikohdan qochish yoki uni kechiktirishni afzal ko‘rmoqda, buesa tug‘ilishdarajasining pasayishiga olibkelmoqda. Kalit so’zlar:tug’ilish darajasi,iqtisodiy omillar,madaniy omillar,ijtimoiy omillar,kariyera,ijtimoiy bosim,ta’lim dasturlari,iqtisodiy o’sish,yosh oilalar,ayolllarning ish bilanbandligi. Аннотация: Южная Корея, несмотря на то, что является экономически развитой страной, известной своими технологическими инновациями, сталкивается с низкой рождаемостью. Причины этого явления связаны с рядом социальных, экономических и культурных факторов. Социальное давление, семейные отношения и меняющаяся значимость брака также играют важную роль. Многие молодые люди предпочитают избегать или откладывать брак,что приводитк снижению рождаемости. Ключевые слова: рождаемость, экономические факторы, культурные факторы, социальные факторы, карьера, социальное давление, образовательные программы, экономическийрост,молодые семьи,женская занятость. According to preliminary data from the South Korean Statistical Office, the total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime — was 0.72 in 2023. For comparison, this coefficient was 0.78 in 2022, 0.81in 2021, and 0.84 in 2020.This is well below the average of 2.1 children needed to maintain the country's current population of 51 million. As of 2018, South Korea is the only country among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a fertility rate below 1. In addition, the average age of a Korean woman at the birth of her first child is 33.6 years. This is the highest result among OECD members. According to experts, if such a low birth rate continues, the population of South Korea, which is the fifth largest economy in Asia, will shrink by almost half by 2100, to http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 515 Volume15 Issue 08, August 2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 26.8 million people. Since 2006, the government has allocated about $270 billion to address the problem of low birth rates, but these measures have not yielded results. Incentives include financial subsidies for couples, childcare services, and support for infertility treatment. The Guardian wrote that couples cite the rising costs of raising children and the rise in real estate prices, the lack of well-paid jobs, and the fierce competition in the education system as obstacles to having a large family. Experts also emphasize the role of cultural factors, including the difficulties women face in balancing career and motherhood, as well as the expectation that they are primarily responsible for housework and childcare. Since 2006, the government has spent more than $270 billion on programs to encourage couples to have more children, including cash subsidies, childcare services, and assistance with infertility treatment. Financial and other incentives have not been able to encourage couples complaining about the sharply rising costs of raising children and property prices, the lack of well-paid jobs and the education system in the country, which are an obstacle to having a large family. Marriage is seen as a prerequisite for having children, but the number of marriages is decreasing due to the high cost of living. According to recent data, the total population of South Korea exceeds approximately 51 million. North Korea's population is 25 million. These figures are approximate and may change slightly dueto factors such as birth,death, and migration. South Korea has been facing serious problems with its birth rate in recent years. In 2021, the country's birth rate reached a record low of 0.84 births per woman. This indicator is one of the lowest in the world, and this situation is associated with social, economic, and cultural factors. The costs of raising children, education, and healthcare are very high. Financial pressure on young families negatively affects the de