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Society

South Korean fertility rate drops to new worldwide low

More young couples choose not to have children as cost of living soars

A mother and child stroll through the Hongdae area of Seoul. South Korea's fertility rate, already the world's lowest, continues to drop.   © Reuters

SEOUL -- South Korea's fertility rate fell to 0.92 in 2019, government statistics published Wednesday show, reaching a new low for the country and the world.

The nation's total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to bear over her life, sunk to 0.98 in 2018 as it dipped below 1 for the first time.

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