MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) Around half of South Koreans do not consider marriage essential, media reported on Thursday, citing a government report by Statistics Korea on the country's 2022 social indicators.
The report showed that 55.8% of male respondents aged 13 and older supported the necessity of marriage, but only 44.3% of female residents held that view, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
The document said that 65.3% of respondents viewed childbirth as essential after getting married, however, that proportion fell to 41.1% among teenagers, according to the report.
The report, illustrating South Korea's demographic crisis, added that the 2022 fertility rate figure fell to 0.78, the lowest level unseen since 1970, when it stood at 4.53, the news agency reported.
In December, 2022, the South Korean government introduced a package of measures to address the low birthrate and aging population, including shortening career breaks for women after delivering a child, more affordable housing and better job opportunities for young people. The authorities also offered 700,000 won ($547) a month to families with a child aged under a year old, with the payment expected to increase to 1 million won in 2023.
