Marriage, Birthrate Continue Rapid Decline

Korea's marriage and birth rates have hit yet another record low as young people increasingly see no hope of ever affording their own home to settle down in.

Only 13,733 couples tied the knot in September, down 10.4 percent from a year earlier and the fewest since statistics began in 1981.

And only 21,920 babies were born, down 6.7 percent from a year earlier and also the lowest for the month. The number of births has been dropping for 70 months in a row now.

But as society ages, deaths are on the rise, reaching 25,566 people died in September, up five percent from a year earlier and an all-time high for the month. Deaths outnumbered births by 3,646, yet another record.

"People are getting married later in life and many couples have postponed their weddings amid the coronavirus pandemic," Statistics Korea said on Wednesday.