S.Korea's childbirth hits record low in H1

South Korea's childbirth hit a record low in the first half of this year, fueling worry about the so-called demographic cliff, statistical office data showed Wednesday.

The number of newborn babies stood at 136,917 in the January-June period, down 3.5 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest first-half figure since data began to be compiled in 1981.

The newborns kept skidding amid the growing social trend of delayed marriage and the falling number of women who are of childbearing age.

The number of marriages diminished 11.9 percent over the year to 96,265 in the first half, logging the lowest first-half reading.

The low birth rate boosted concerns about the demographic cliff, which refers to a drop in the heads of households eventually leading to a consumption cliff.

During the April-June quarter, the number of newborns shrank 2.7 percent from a year earlier to 66,398, recording the lowest second-quarter reading.

The total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of babies that a woman is forecast to have during the lifetime, slightly fell to a new second-quarter low of 0.82 percent.

The number of marriages reduced 5.4 percent from a year earlier to 48,249 in the second quarter, and the number of divorces slipped 2.7 percent to 26,224.