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Staff Reporter
The number of newborns in October rose from a year earlier, increasing for the first time in 20 months, due mainly to the base effect of an unusually low number last year, Statistics Korea said Wednesday.
Babies born in October totaled 40,200 nationwide, up 0.8 percent from 39,900 during the same month last year, marking the first year-on-year growth since February 2008 when it jumped 0.6 percent. In the first nine months of 2009, there were 378,900 babies born in the country, down 4.1 percent from the same period in 2008.
The number of births had been falling from March 2008 through September 2009, indicating that more young men and women were delaying having children, due largely to financial hardship. Also, the rising costs associated with childcare were said to have discouraged women here from having babies.
``Typically, more married couples give birth to babies in October compared to other months. But a year ago, the number was unusually low, as many women had babies in 2007 and 2006. It is too early to say whether the trend will continue,'' a Statistics Korea official said.
In 2006 and 2007, childbirth rose 3 percent and 10 percent, respectively, as many couples who tied the knot in 2006 gave birth, believing that 2007, the year of the pig in the lunar calendar, would bring luck to their newborns.
But in 2008, Korea posted the lowest birthrate among OECD member countries. The nation's birthrate, or the average number of babies per woman aged 15 to 49, decreased to 1.19 last year from 1.25 in 2007. In 2005, the country recorded its lowest rate, 1.08.
Meanwhile, the number of couples filing for divorce grew 5.2 percent to 10,100 in October, compared to the same month last year, rising for the fourth consecutive month. This was also mainly due to the base effect, as divorces dropped sharply in 2008.
A mandatory system was introduced last year requiring couples to take a one-to-three month cooling off period before finalizing divorce procedures, in an effort to reduce the number of divorces.
Koreans tying the knot totaled 23,300 in October, down 8.6 percent from the previous year. In September, the number of marriages rose for the first time since September 2008, when the nation began feeling the effects of the global credit crunch.
The statistical office said the number of marriages will continue to head downward for the time being as the current economic downturn makes it more difficult for those in their late 20s and early 30s to find jobs and save money for marriage.
The number of deaths in the nation dropped by 4.2 percent to 20,500 from a year earlier, while the number of people who relocated across districts stood at 678,700, up 8.4 percent from the previous year.
Gyeonggi Province saw 12,800 more people move into the area than out, recording the biggest net flow among 16 municipalities. Seoul saw 13,500 more people leave than came in, with the majority heading to neighboring Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.
leehs@koreatimes.co.kr
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