SEOUL, June 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's childbirth posted a double-digit fall in April, fueling worry about a so-called demographic cliff, statistical office data showed Wednesday.
The number of newborn babies was 23,420 in April, down 10.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
The figure declined in double figures for four straight months, continuing to slide for 53 months since December 2015.
During the January-April period, the childbirth was down 10.9 percent compared to the same period of last year.
The continued slide in newborns came amid the rising social trend of delayed marriage and the falling number of women who are of childbearing age.
The number of marriages tumbled 21.8 percent over the year to 15,670 in April. It was the fastest April reduction since relevant data began to be compiled in 1981.
The number of divorces dipped 2.9 percent to 9,259 in the cited month.
The falling childbirth stocked concerns about the demographic cliff, which refers to a sudden drop in the heads of household eventually leading to a consumption cliff.
The low birth rate has been a headache for the economy as it leads to the lower workforce amid the rapidly-aging population, which could drag down the country's growth potential.
The number of deaths grew 3.3 percent over the year to 24,628 in April.
Because of the reduced childbirth and the increased death, the country's population kept falling for the sixth straight month. Enditem
