Childbirth in S. Korea falls 5.5 pct in 2008

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- The number of babies born in South Korea declined last
year despite the government's efforts to encourage childbirth, a government
report showed Wednesday.
According to the report by the National Statistical Office, the number of
newborns totaled 466,000 last year, down 5.5 percent, or 27,000, from a year
earlier. In December, there were 34,700 births, down 4.4 percent from a year
before.
The decline is mainly due to a relatively sharp increase in the number of births
in 2007, as people believed that babies born during the year would enjoy
prosperity, the report explained.
The number of marriages also dropped 4.6 percent to 329,600 last year as people
are delaying weddings amid the deepening economic downturn, according to the
report.
Divorces declined. A total of 117,000 couples filed for divorce last year, down
6.1 percent from a year ago, the report showed. In December, 10,800 divorce cases
were filed, down 11.3 percent from a year earlier.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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