The sale of pet carriers in South Korea has surpassed that of baby strollers for the first time, reflecting the country’s worryingly low fertility rate. With a historic low fertility rate of 0.78 in 2022, South Korea is facing a demographic crisis. President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared the plummeting birth rate a “national emergency” and has established a “Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counterplanning” to address the issue. As fewer children are being born, more households are opting to raise pets, with over six million households having pets in 2022, up from 3.6 million in 2012.
The declining birth rate is attributed to frustration with the rising cost of living and declining quality of life. The government provides financial incentives to encourage couples to have children, yet the number of marriages has dropped by 40% over the past decade. South Korea experienced significant demographic shifts last year, characterized by decreases in marriage and birth rates.
The trend of pet carriers outselling baby strollers highlights the urgent need to address the country’s demographic challenges and find solutions to promote higher birth rates.
[ad_2]
Source link
