South Korea's fertility rate has been sluggish, and in 2020 it experienced negative population growth for the first time in history. In response to this serious social problem, South Korea and local governments have introduced various policies to stimulate childbirth, the most notable of which is the "100 million+i dream" birth policy launched by Incheon City**, which aims to provide all-round support for families with children from the fetus to the pre-growth stage of 18 years old, including up to 550,000 won (about 3 yuan) per baby30,000 yuan).
The "100 million+i dream" birth policy of Incheon City was formulated on the basis of the "4th Basic Plan for a Low Fertility Rate and Aging Society" of the first in South Korea and the actual situation of Incheon City. The policy is not only to increase subsidies, but more importantly, to fill the gap in national policy and expand the scope of support to all areas of childcare.
At present, in addition to providing a total of 72 million won for parental allowances, child allowances, first-time meeting lottery tickets, and education expenses for elementary, middle, and high schools, Incheon City** has also provided an additional 10.4 million won for "angel" bonuses, children's dream allowances, and transportation expenses for pregnant women, totaling up to 100 million won for teenagers from birth to 18 years old.
Among them, the most talked about is the "Angel" bonus, which is a one-time payment of 550,000 won for each baby at birth. This amount is the highest offered elsewhere in South Korea** and is the most daring measure taken by the city of Incheon** to stimulate fertility.
In December 2020, South Korea finalized the "4th Basic Plan for a Low Fertility and Aging Society", which will be implemented from 2022 to 2027 with a total budget of 1034 trillion won (about 6 yuan.)2 trillion yuan).
The main elements of the program include:
Provide a monthly childcare subsidy of 300,000 won (about 1,800 yuan) for families with infants aged 0 1, and gradually increase it to 500,000 won (about 3,000 yuan) by 2025.
A one-time payment of 2 million won (about 1 yuan) will be given to the mother20,000 yuan).
For parents with children under the age of 1, when applying for 3 months of parental leave, each person will receive up to 3 million won (about 1. yuan.) per month80,000 yuan).
Expand the supply of childcare services, improve the quality of childcare services, and reduce the cost of childcare services.
Support the balance between work and childcare for parents, increase the use of parental leave, and reduce the loss of income for people who have reduced their working hours due to childcare.
Provide housing support, provide newlyweds and families with many children with priority opportunities to buy or rent public housing, and relax the application conditions for public housing.
Increase support for infertile couples, expand the coverage of assisted reproductive technology, and reduce the cost of assisted reproductive technology.
South Korea's fertility rate has been sluggish, and in 2020 it experienced negative population growth for the first time in history. According to Statistics Korea, the number of births in South Korea in 2020 was 2770,000 people, with 30 deaths90,000 people, with a natural growth rate of -01%。South Korea's total fertility rate, which is the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime, also increased from 092 fell to 0 in 202084, the lowest since statistics began in 1970.
There are many reasons for the low fertility rate in South Korea, mainly including the following aspects:
High childcare costs. The cost of childcare in Korea is one of the highest in the world, and it includes various educational expenses such as nursery schools, kindergartens, schools, and after-school classes, as well as various living expenses such as housing, medical care, and insurance. According to South Korea**, a child in South Korea needs to spend an average of 2600 million won (about 1.56 million yuan).
Tough employment environment. The employment environment in South Korea has been not optimistic, especially for young people, it is very difficult to find a job, keep a job, and get a promotion and salary increase. South Korea's youth unemployment rate reached 10 in 20204%, which is more than double the national average unemployment rate. Under such circumstances, many young people are reluctant to marry and have children, or delay marriage and childbearing.
Changing values. South Korea's social culture is also changing, and many young people no longer regard marriage and having children as an inevitable choice in life, but pay more attention to personal freedom, development and happiness. They prefer to pursue their interests and dreams, or enjoy a single or cohabitation lifestyle. At the same time, awareness of gender equality is also growing in South Korea, with more and more women moving away from traditional family roles and paying more attention to their professional and social status.
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