South Korea’s fertility rate drops to set the world record for the lowest among nations

South Korea, a nation of about 50 million people could well see its population come down to 36.2 million by 2072. The nation is currently going through a lean patch in terms of the national fertility rate as women are choosing against giving birth. The gloomy situation is not new to the nation but the data released by South Korea’s National Statistics Office on Wednesday, suggests more trouble.

As per the data, the babies per woman in a lifetime fell to an all-time low of 0.72 whereas to maintain stability, the rate should be 2.1 children per woman. This also means that South Korean society is ageing and if the rate continues, the population is expected to be reduced by a record 30% by 2072.

This data is concerning for the South Korean government in many ways as the low population would not be able to account for the tax needed for a prosperous nation. Fewer babies also mean a decline in army personnel as well as the workforce needed for economic stability.

A 30-year-old television producer, Yejin, while cooking lunch, comes across a meme on her mobile phone, “Be careful! Don’t let yourself become extinct like us,” says the dinosaur, reading which all her friends laugh but Yejin reminds them, “It’s funny, but it’s dark because we know we could be causing our extinction.”