Nearly 43% of South Koreans aged 20 to 49 have no intention of having children. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent survey has revealed that nearly 43% of South Koreans aged 20 to 49 have no intention of having children, highlighting the persistent demographic challenges facing the country.
However, the study also suggests that expanded government policies and corporate support could sway a significant portion of this group to reconsider their stance on parenthood.
The Korea Peninsula Future Institute, in collaboration with the research firm Embrain, conducted an in-depth survey of 2,000 individuals nationwide, shedding light on attitudes towards marriage and childbirth in a country grappling with one of the world’s lowest birth rates.
Among unmarried respondents, just over half (53.2%) expressed a desire to marry, while 27.4% had no intention to do so, and 19.4% were undecided. The survey revealed a notable gender disparity, with 34.6% of women expressing no intention to marry compared to 21.5% of men.
When asked about their reluctance to marry, men cited economic instability as the primary reason (20.1%), while women most frequently responded that they believed they would be happier living alone (17.6%).
The picture becomes even starker when it comes to childbirth. A striking 42.6% of all respondents said they had no intention of having children, with women (52.9%) significantly more likely than men (33.1%) to express this view.
The sentiment was most pronounced among those in their 40s, with 63.9% stating they did not intend to have children, compared to 35.2% of those in their 30s and 23.6% of those in their 20s.
Women cited a lack of perceived need for children (13.9%), financial constraints for childcare (12.7%), and the high costs of education (10.7%) as their top reasons for not wanting children.
Men, on the other hand, pointed to job instability (17.9%), financial constraints (16%), and a lack of perceived need for children (10.5%) as their primary concerns.
However, the survey also revealed a potential for policy interventions to shift these attitudes. Among those who initially expressed no intention to marry, 38.6% said they might reconsider if government policies and corporate support were significantly expanded.
Similarly, 44.1% of those who said they didn’t want children indicated that they might change their minds under improved policy conditions.
Respondents rated various government and corporate support measures, with expanded parental leave and salary support scoring highest among government policies (73.4 out of 100 points). For corporate support, assistance with children’s tuition fees was most highly rated (72 points).
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
