S.Korea's total fertility rate hits 0.81 in Q1

South Korea in the first quarter posted a total fertility rate (TFR) of 0.81, the lowest in history for that quarter. 

Because the number of births is usually high early in a year, the rate in the second half is expected to decline further. 

Statistics Korea, quoting March population data that it released on Wednesday, said the TFR, or the number of children a woman is expected to have by the end of her reproductive period, was the lowest since 2009, when the government began gathering quarterly data on the figure. 

The number of first-quarter births this year was 64,256, down 4,116 or 6% year on year and a record low for the quarter, marking the 29th straight quarter of decline since the first quarter of 2016.

The number of births in March was 21,138, down 8.1% from 23,001 in the same month last year and the lowest for March since monthly statistics were launched in 1981.

The number of deaths reached 89,015 in the first quarter, down 14.2% or 14,738 from 103,753 year on year, and that in March was 28,922, down 35.2% or 15,689.

The base effect of the surge in deaths due to COVID-19 last year fueled the largest drop in casualties in March history.

The number of deaths in the month was higher than that of births for a net decrease of 7,784, resulting in the 41st straight month of population decline.

Write to Se-Min Huh at semin@hankyung.com