The latest forecast by Statistics Korea puts the population in 2072 at 36.2 million, a 30% decline from the current 51.7 million, even though the fertility rate may recover a bit to 0.68 in 2026. The population is expected to fall every year starting in 2025.
There’s the (very) real issue of infant mortality.
Ya know, I see I’m getting downvoted by some folks, and that’s perfectly okay. Just remember, the article is about adult fertility, not infant deaths. If folks stayed on topic, they might get my point.
There’s no way I can have negative fertility, it’s either zero or a positive number. I have zero children, so what?
To suggest negative fertility is absurd, sperm either fertilizes an egg or it doesn’t. Zero or one (or maybe even two or more sometimes), but there’s no such thing as semen unfertilizing a fertilized egg.
That’s not my point at all.
If Mary has 2 apples, and she gives Billy 3 apples, then Mary has -1 apples. That math don’t work homie, you can’t have -1 of something.