In a significant development, South Korea experienced an increase in the number of newborns last year, marking the first rise in nine years. According to government data, 242,334 babies were born in 2024, a 3.1% increase from the previous year. This is a notable change for a country known for having one of the world's lowest fertility rates.
Despite this positive trend, South Korea's overall population has been shrinking for five consecutive years, with the total registered population standing at 51,217,221 last year. The country officially entered the category of a "super-aged" society, with individuals aged 65 and older making up 20% of the population. This age group includes 10.24 million people, with women comprising 22% of the female population and men 18% of the male population.
Among South Korea's regions, South Jeolla Province has the highest percentage of elderly individuals at 27.18%, while the central city of Sejong has the lowest at 11.57%. In Seoul, the elderly population accounts for 19.41% of the total population. The number of elderly individuals has been steadily increasing over the years, from 4.94 million in 2008 to surpassing 15% of the population in 2019.
Newborns are babies who have just been born. In this context, it means the number of babies born in South Korea in a particular year.
An aging population means that a large part of the people in a country are getting older. This can happen when people live longer and have fewer children.
A super-aged society is when 20% or more of a country's population is 65 years old or older. It means there are many elderly people compared to younger ones.
South Jeolla Province is a region in South Korea. It is known for having a high percentage of elderly people compared to other areas in the country.
Sejong is a city in South Korea. It has the lowest percentage of elderly people compared to other regions in the country.
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