Population Doom: The Implications of Falling Birthrates
As global birthrates decrease, many countries have implemented measures to try to counter this movement, such as economic incentives like free childcare. In South Korea, however, the country with the world's lowest birth rate at 0.80 in 2025, some officials have resorted to more extreme measures. Official Kim Hee-soo commented on how the country could “import young women" from "Vietnam or Sri Lanka" who could then be married off to "young men in rural areas.” Even though these comments led to his dismissal, it puts into perspective how declining birthrates are starting to become a pertinent issue in countries like South Korea.
Nonetheless, South Korea’s population is now expected to halve by 2100 which imposes huge pressure on its current youth. This demographic shift disrupts long-standing expectations that they will care for the elderly and be cared for themselves in the future.
In response, the government has started opening up its borders to make it easier for immigrants to settle. One group that the government has been welcoming especially is international students enrolling in local universities, many of which have been identified as financially insolvent. The government has also moved to allow foreign workers to stay in the country longer and move more easily between regions and industries. The Ministry of Justice has also launched the new K-Star visa which directly targets attracting STEM talent.
Immigration, however, cannot be the only solution, as gender dynamics and women’s representation play a direct role in shaping birth rates. Although women in Korea have the highest level of education among OECD countries, they remain underrepresented in management and leadership roles across all sectors. Increasing opportunities for women might mean less sacrifice when having children, allowing them to maintain both their careers and economic independence. Korean Labour Minister Lee Jung-sik emphasises that “a key solution to the fertility, aging, and productive problem is helping women raise children happily without having to worry about giving up job.”
South Korea has tried to implement other strategies, such as cash allowances, childcare services and preferential mortgage programs for families with newborns, which are slowly working. Private companies have also begun to support these efforts by offering bonuses to employees who have children.
Due to this present population crisis, many argue that the solution is not to push for more births, but instead increase the work force’s productivity. The rise of AI and other technologies can make workers expand their capabilities, potentially levelling out the gap in labour. Companies such as Hyundai have welcomed this new tech. They announced they will produce humanoid robots who will take over more labour intensive tasks.
However, AI expansion can also generate job insecurity and economic uncertainty. Thus it is essential for the government to carefully regulate technology use and ensure adequate protection for workers.
The implications of an ageing population are already being felt. Economically, there is potential stagnation, increased pressure on healthcare and pension systems, and labour shortages. However, these struggles are not unique to South Korea. With 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population, countries facing less than that will face an aging population and a small workforce to sustain their economy. Italy and Japan face similar struggles of a shrinking workforce and low fertility.
Yet, the solutions proposed often clash with broader global political trends. The rise of far-right governments typically brings negative public attitudes toward immigration, which means that countries like South Korea, which need to welcome foreign workers to maintain their economy, face an internal conflict between economic necessity and political ideology. Immigration has already proven necessary to keep the current economic system running, as governments rely on foreign tax payers, especially skilled migrants who are seen as “ready-made” taxpayers due to their availability to work without any need for the government to invest in their education.
Similar tension exists for solutions focused on increasing birth rates. Empowering women in the workforce is necessary for demographic recovery, but in countries like South Korea, this often clashes with traditional patriarchal expectations that contribute to the low birth rate in the first place. Together, this creates a complex social and political tightrope for policymakers, highlighting that the demographic crisis is not merely an economic or population issue, but one deeply interwoven with social structure, gender equality, and global politics.
Image courtesy of Kelvin Agustinus via Pexels, ©2018. Some rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
