Data confirms dearth of young South Koreans

Younger South Koreans aged between nine and 24 years of age account for just one out of every five people as society ages at a rapid pace, government datashowed on Friday.

The figure was a sharp drop from the so-called “Baby Boom” era in the 1960s-70s when one out of every three South Koreans was that age, according to Statistics Korea.

Of the entire population — the national population is currently tallied at just less than 50 million — only around 10 million, or 21 percent, were aged between nine and 24 years of age this year.

The figures suggest that the proportion of teenagers and other younger people will shrink to less than 20 percent of the population by 2015. 

By 2025, the figure may drop to around 15 percent. 

The government-run Statistics Korea releases studies on the future trend of national demographics based on a population census it conducts every five years.

“The low birthrate is believed to be the number one cause of the decline in the number of youths,” said Hong Kyung-hee of Statistics Korea.

An increasing number of people here are opting to have smaller families, bringing the nation’s birthrate down to 1.15 per woman last year.