South Korea recorded more deaths than births in 2020 for the first time ever, prompting calls for action to revive the country's falling fertility rate.
韓國2020年記錄的死亡人數有史以來第一次超過了出生人數，這促使人們呼籲出臺措施提高不斷降低的生育率。
For years, South Korea has struggled with a growing demographic crisis. The country's fertility rate has repeatedly hit record lows, and ranks near the bottom of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Meanwhile, South Korea's population continues to age, sending the country into a demographic decline.
But last year's census1 data, released by the Ministry2 of Interior and Safety on Monday, appears even more alarming.
There were only 275,815 births, a record low -- compared to 307,764 deaths, a 3.1% increase in fatalities3 from the previous year. This is the first time South Korea has hit the "population death cross," when the number of deaths surpasses births, the ministry said in a news release -- and the first time the total population has shrunk.
The population continues to age rapidly, the census showed: 32.7% of people are in their 40s and 50s, and nearly a quarter are over the age of 60.
"The constant decline in birth rate shows that low birth rate remains4 as a big issue in Korea," the release said. "There needs to be a fundamental change in the governmental policies such as welfare, education, and national defense5, accordingly."
The release didn't mention causes of death, or how much the Covid-19 pandemic influenced last year's figures. The pandemic has killed 981 people in South Korea so far, according to a tally6 by Johns Hopkins University.
But Korean experts have previously7 warned that the pandemic could skew the number of births and deaths -- both because of the higher number of Covid-related deaths, and because the circumstances of the pandemic could discourage couples from having children.
In a report published in December 2020, the central Bank of Korea warned that the country's falling birth rates and aging population would likely "accelerate" due to the impact of Covid-19. The pandemic caused greater job and income insecurity for young adults in their 20s and 30s -- potentially disrupting their plans to start a family. Economic and personal anxieties may cause them to delay having children; in some cases, a temporary postponement8 on childbirth could turn permanent, said the report.
The bank warned that South Korea may soon have the highest proportion of elderly people in the world, and urged stronger policies and childbirth incentives9 to sustain the country's economy.
點擊收聽單詞發音
1 census
n.(官方的)人口調查，人口普查
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2 ministry
n.(政府的)部；牧師
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3 fatalities
n.惡性事故( fatality的名詞複數 )；死亡；致命性；命運
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Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有幾個人受傷，但沒有人死亡。
The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4 remains
n.剩餘物，殘留物；遺體，遺蹟
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5 defense
n.防禦，保衛；[pl.]防務工事；辯護，答辯
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6 tally
n.計數器，記分，一致，測量；vt.計算，記錄，使一致；vi.計算，記分，一致
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7 previously
adv.以前，先前（地）
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8 postponement
n.推遲
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9 incentives
激勵某人做某事的事物( incentive的名詞複數 )；刺激；誘因；動機
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tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓勵儲蓄的稅收措施
Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津貼僅是為鼓勵增添設備的投資。來自英漢非文學 - 環境法 - 環境法
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