SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's childbirth posted the lowest August figure, stoking worry about a so-called demographic cliff, a government report showed Wednesday.
The number of newborn babies was 27,300 in August, down 2,800, or 9.3 percent, from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
It was the lowest August number since the statistical agency began compiling the data in 1981. The year-over-year figure continued to fall for 33 months since December 2015.
During the January-August period, the childbirth stood merely at 226,000, down 8.7 percent from the same period of last year. It was the lowest since 1981.
The continued slide in childbirth fueled concerns about the demographic cliff, which refers to a sudden drop in the heads of household eventually leading to a consumption cliff.
According to the statistical agency's estimate, the number of South Korean population was forecast 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 slumping childbirth was attributable to the social trend of delayed marriage and the falling number of women who are of childbearing age.
The number of reported marriage dipped 4 percent over the year to 19,300 in August, while the number of divorce fell 2.1 percent to 9,300.
