South Korea's sex ratio at birth drops to lowest level! Boys are no longer preferred

According to the "2020 Birth and Death Statistics" released by the National Statistics Office of Korea , South Korea's total fertility rate last year was 0.84, a decrease of 0.08 from 0.92 in the previous year, the lowest level since statistics began in 1970.

According to the latest data released by Statistics Korea on Monday, South Korea 's sex ratio at birth in 2020 fell to its lowest level, the latest sign that South Koreans' traditional preference for boys is waning.

In 2020, South Korea's sex ratio at birth, or the number of boys born for every 100 girls, was 104.9, the lowest since the agency began collecting relevant data in 1990. The figure is close to the natural level observed worldwide : about 105 boys for every 100 girls.

This is a significant drop from the peak of 116.6 boys in 1990. South Korea has always been dominated by son preference, and the gender imbalance of the third and fourth children in the family is more obvious. In 1993, the sex ratio of the third child at birth reached 209.7.

The proportion of male babies in South Korea began to decline in the mid-1990s, falling to 110.1 in 2000 and 106.2 in 2007. The figure rose slightly to 106.9 in 2010, but continued its downward spiral, reaching its lowest level last year.

The sex ratio of the third child also continued to decline during this period, with the proportion of male babies continuing to decline. In 2000, it was 143.6:100, and in 2010 it was 110.9:100. Last year, the ratio reached 106.7.

That figure plummeted to 103.2 in 2019, falling below the overall sex ratio at birth of 105.5 that year for the first time since the country began collecting relevant data.

Statistics Korea said the data reflects changes in family values, as South Korea has gradually abandoned the Confucian-based social tradition of favoring sons over daughters. But we cannot ignore that the discriminatory phenomenon of "men are superior to women" still exists in South Korean society !

Meanwhile, Statistics Korea predicts that the number of women in South Korea will outnumber men by 2029.

According to the agency's long-term population forecast, the male-to-female ratio will reach 99.9 to 100 by 2029. The report added that the male-to-female ratio will continue to decline year by year, reaching 98.3 by 2047.

South Korea

Low fertility rate

Population sex ratio