SEOUL, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Childbirths in South Korea posted a double-digit decline amid a falling number of marriages, raising worries about the lower workforce and the subsequent impact on economic growth, a government report showed Wednesday.
The number of newborn babies was 33,200 in March, down 13.1 percent from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea.
During the January-March period, childbirths tumbled 12.3 percent to 98,800 compared with a year earlier, failing to surpass the 100,000 mark for the second consecutive quarter.
In 2016, the country's childbirths hit a yearly record low of 406,300 since the statistical agency began compiling the data in 2000.
The falling in number of marriages led to lower childbirths. The number of marriage in March was 23,300, down 6.8 percent from a year earlier.
Lower childbirths and number of marriages boosted concerns about the lower workforce of the South Korean economy amid the rapidly aging population that will increase welfare costs.
The number of divorced couples increased 5.6 percent from a year earlier to 9,500 in March. For the first three months of this year, the figure rose 4.7 percent to 26,500.
