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Korea has one of the world's lowest birthrates, according to a U.S. study, and that declining trend is forecast to result in a 13-percent drop in the country's population 40 years from now. The U.S. Population Reference Bureau says the average Korean woman gives birth to 1.1 children during her lifetime, the same as Taiwan, and higher only than Macau and Hong Kong.
If the trend persists, the population is expected to fall to 42 million by 2050 from an estimated 48 million in 2006. Korean officials fear the low birthrate will rapidly shrink the workforce, and force each working-age citizen to shoulder a greater tax burden to support a growing number of senior citizens. Koreans are living longer at 77 years on average, while only 19 percent of the population is 15 or younger.
In contrast, the average North Korean woman gives birth to two children during her lifetime. The population of the communist country is expected to rise 14 percent by 2050 to 26 million from 23 million in 2006. The average North Korean lives 71 years, while 27 percent of the population is 15 years or younger. Japanese people live the longest with an average life expectancy at 82 years.
The world population, meanwhile, is predicted to top 9.2 billion in 2050, 41 percent more than the current 6.5 billion.
Arirang News
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