South Korea Has Smallest 0-4 Year Old Population among East Asian Countries

The number of infants aged 0 to 4 in South Korea is unusually small compared to those of other East Asian countries, according to an analysis.

Lee Tae-yeol, a senior research fellow at the Korea Insurance Research Institute, said in a report on the severity of South Korea’s declining birthrate through a comparison of East Asian countries on Aug. 27 that the population in the 0-4 age group was only 1.65 million in South Korea as of 2021.

According to the report, when the population of Japan’s comparable age groups was set as 100%, each age group in South Korea averaged around 50% of Japan’s value, but Korea’s 15-18 age group was in the low 40s compared to Japan, and Korea’s 0-4 age group was only 38.5% of that of Japan, the lowest out of all age groups.

When compared to China’s population, South Korea’s 20-24 age group and 25-29 age group were each 4.0% of China’s comparable groups, but Korea’s 0-4-year-olds were only 2.2% of China’s.

Compared to Taiwan, South Korea’s population was around 200% in most age groups, with the lowest being 170% in the 0-4 age group.

South Korea’s 0-4 age group was smaller than the age groups of even Singapore, Hong Kong, and North Korea, which is going through severe economic hardship, according to the institute’s analysis. When North Korea’s population was used as the 100% mark, South Korea’s overall population stood at 199.6%, but when looking at the 0-4 age group South Korea’s was only 97.1% of North Korea’s.