ISTANBUL

South Korea's population is anticipated to decline by 27% from its present 52 million to 38 million by 2070 due to a decrease in marriage rates, according to data from the country's statistical office on Tuesday.

The number of marriages saw a significant decline, with 192,000 recorded in 2022 compared to 295,000 in 1970, said Statistics Korea.

The rate dropped in 2020 due to the high costs of housing, child-rearing and youth unemployment. Among 25 - 49-year-olds, the marriage rate fell to 52.9% for men and 67.1% for women, down from 64.7% and 77.4% respectively in 2010.

It dropped sharply to 0.78 in 2022 after being at 1.30 in 2012 -- well below the replacement level of 2.10, which it needed to maintain the current population.