Japan and South Korea Hit by Sex Recession? Here Are Their Birth Rates.

South Korea and Japan are reportedly experiencing a "sex recession." This is evident in the low marriage rates, which in turn have led to declining birth rates and hindered population growth in these countries.

This "sex recession" phenomenon is also influenced by changing lifestyles, where many people choose to remain single and focus on their careers, or are reluctant to have children due to the high cost.

"An aging and shrinking population can have consequences such as a reduced workforce and economic decline," said *The Guardian* in a report titled "I’m afraid to have children’: fear of an older future in Japan and South Korea," published on Saturday, November 19, 2022.

According to *The Guardian*, Japan's low birth rate and aging population are reflected in the increasing sales of adult diapers, while sales of baby diapers are declining.

The number of Japanese people over 65 is also reported to have increased to 28% of the current total population. On the other hand, Japanese women have a low average birth rate.

"Japanese women, on average, give birth to 1.3 children during their lifetime, far below the birth rate needed to maintain the current population, which is 2.1," said *The Guardian*.

"With this data, it is estimated that Japan's population will shrink from 125 million to 88 million by 2065. A 30% decrease in 45 years," it continued.

A similar case is occurring in South Korea. This K-Pop nation has the lowest birth rate in the world, at just 0.84 in 2020, falling to 0.81 in 2021.

*The Guardian* also projects that South Korea's population will shrink from 52 million currently to 38 million by 2070.

"For the first time, the proportion of single-person households in South Korea exceeded 40% last year. The number of marriages also reached an all-time low, with 193,000 marriages in 2021," said *The Guardian*.

"Some people in South Korea, especially women, prioritize personal freedom and completely disregard marriage," it continued.