SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Childbirth in South Korea kept a record-low trend for 27 months through June, booting worry about a so-called demographic cliff, a government report showed Wednesday.
The number of newborn babies was 26,400 in June, down 8.7 percent from a year ago, according to Statistics Korea.
It marked the lowest monthly figure since the statistical agency began compiling the data in 1981, breaking previous record lows for the 27th consecutive month since April 2016.
During the January-June period, the childbirth stood at 171,600, down 8.8 percent compared with the same period of last year. It was the lowest first-half figure since 1981.
The number of babies South Korean women are forecast to have during their lifetime was 0.97 in the second quarter, down from 1.05 tallied a year earlier.
The continued fall in childbirth fueled concerns about the demographic cliff, which refers to a sudden drop in the heads of household leading to a consumption cliff.
According to the statistical agency's estimate, the number of South Korean population was expected to begin falling from 2028.
The low birth rate has been a headache for the South Korean economy as it can lead to the lower workforce amid the fast-aging population, which would drag down the economy's growth potential.
The low birth rate was attributable to the social trend of delayed marriage and the falling number of women who are of childbearing age.
The number of marriage declined 7.6 percent over the year to 1,700 in June, while the number of divorce shed 4.4 percent to 8,600.
