Number of marriages in Seoul nearly halved over 20 yrs

Seoul, Dec 16 (IANS) The number of marriages in Seoul has dropped by almost half in the past 20 years, while births have also plunged by 64 per cent, the city government said on Thursday.

Marriages in the South Korean capital stood at 44,746 in 2020, down 43.2 per cent compared with 78,745 in 2000, according to the city's latest report on population trends.

The average age of first nuptials for men and women last year were 33.61 and 31.6, respectively, 3.96 and 4.35 years older compared with those 20 years ago, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Babies born in 2020 totalled 47,445, down 64.3 per cent from 2000 and also 11.6 per cent lower compared with that of 2019.

The city's total fertility rate, tallied at 1.28 in 2000, fell to 0.64 per cent last year, according to the report.