Pregnancy and childcare in South Korea - statistics & facts

South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates worldwide, falling to a record low of 0.78 births per woman in 2022. Like many other countries, South Korea has been struggling the demographic imbalance of a decreasing young population and an increasing older one. The total number of births in the country has dropped by over 61 percent since 2000. Simultaneously, the average age of mothers has also risen, having increased by over three years to 33.4 years in under two decades.

South Korea’s high-intensity labor market clashes with motherhood

In a 2021 survey, only around 56 percent of employees reported that maternal leave was freely available at their workplaces, with a further 26 percent stating it was available but discouraged. The most common reason for this was that taking leave would increase the work burden for their coworkers. Consequently, less than 10 percent of pregnant workers took maternity leave, while only slightly more took childcare leave. Meanwhile, about 43 percent of married women who left the workforce in 2022 did so in order to parent their children, while 23 percent left due to pregnancy or birth. Due to a combination of economic pressure and insufficient support for mothers in the workforce, a significant share of women face the difficult decision of choosing between having children and having a career.

Childcare facilities in South Korea

In 2022, around 1.1 million children were registered in one of the 31 thousand daycare centers across South Korea. Both figures have declined in recent years as birth rates continued to shrink. Most childcare institutions were either private or public, with the former being the most commonly attended form of childcare. While some workplaces offered on-site childcare, the vast majority did not. While daycare centers offered essential support, many Korean parents still relied on various other sources for childcare in 2023, especially for young children under the age of three years.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Number of births 2022
249k
Birth rate
0.72 births per woman
Infant mortality rate
2.3 deaths per 1,000 live births
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of births in South Korea from 2000 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Births, Deaths, Life Expectancy

Number of births in South Korea 2000-2022

Number of male births per 100 female births in South Korea from 2000 to 2022

Demographics

Sex ratio at birth South Korea 2000-2022

Average number of births per woman in South Korea from 1970 to 2023

Births, Deaths, Life Expectancy

Birth rate in South Korea 1970-2023

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Women in South Korea
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State of health in South Korea
State of health in South Korea

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