South Korea saw its proportion of young people to the total population sink to an all-time low this year due to the effect of low birthrates, data showed Wednesday.
According to Statistics Korea, the number of people under age 14 made up 13.9 percent of the total population.
It is lower than 14.3 percent recorded in 2014 and 21.1 percent in 2000, making it the lowest-ever figure.
Korea’s fertility rate, or the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime, stood at 1.21 as of 2014, down from 1.47 in 2000.
Data showed the proportion of people over 65 would rise to 40.1 percent and people under 14 would drop to 10.2 percent by 2060 if the current fertility rate continued.
Data predicted that Korea’s population, currently 51 million, would peak at 52 million in 2030, then begin to fall to 44 million in 2060.
