South Korea sees rise in childbirths for 9th straight month in March

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/south-korea-sees-rise-in-childbirths-for-9th-straight-month-in-march/3581765

20 comments

  7. It’s fascinating how so few understand the core problem with Birth Rates in developed, wealthy, countries.

    At a certain turning point in the wealth cycle, children cease to become a net contributor to retirement wealth and production, as they tend to be in subsistence and unskilled labor dominated economies with low workforce protections, and start to become huge net costs of the standards of living of most of the working and middle class. Children at this point are perceived as more an existential benefit, or perhaps it’s better terms as an existential luxury. It’s an expensive “luxury good” that is consumed to meet existential needs on an individual level, but from a social perspective is incredibly necessary.

    If governments want more kids, they need to radically reduce the costs of having kids to reduce the burdens they place on people. Direct Cash bonuses don’t really work because the net inflows are more fungible, the kids still incur a cost and the benefits aren’t great offsets in comparison to lost working hours and childcare costs. If government can instead help reduce the impact children have on incomes and budgets, they may find that a more cost-effective and useful strategy over the long term, but that would require significant intervention both in the provision of parental leave and childcare sectors.

  9. Bad news. The world is overpopulated as it is. There is not enough housing for everyone.

  10. Enough of the ppl who don’t have kids due to genetic disposition or culture are gone that it’s beginning to turn the other way.

  12. With all the modern luxuries today, having children for people living in wealthy developed nations has never been easier. Yet it’s the wealthy nations where birth rates have dropped. For the first time in human history children are viewed as a hinderance. They simply don’t fit into the modern lifestyle where careers have taken precedence for both partners. You have to sacrifice a lot including your sleep, ability to travel, time spent for yourself. Simply not a fit in today’s culture which is sad. The ability to create and nurture new life should be viewed as the most important thing we do as people 

  15. Maybe the support policies are finally starting to make a difference?

  16. It’s quite funny. We are travelling in Korea with our 4month old. And I have never seen such a reaction from the local Korean ladies. They all love him and go googaa with him. It’s like they never see babies anymore..

  17. If you read the article, deaths still outnumbered births by 50%. So it was an increase from a very low level, to still a very low level.

  18. Wasn’t it South Korea where many women were boycotting sex (and pregnancy )based on a popular book or series? It was something wild.
    Guess that’s over now.

  19. Wow, good on them! Hope this continues! With how big their population is, they dont need replacement levels (yet), but if they could get to like 1.5, they’d be in a pretty decent place and wouldnt have to worry (as much) about this demographic crisis. It’ll probably take years of continued increases to get to 1.5, but i think its possible!

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