Survey finds 3 in 10 young Koreans want children, but the numbers change along political lines

Home > National > Social Affairs

Survey finds 3 in 10 young Koreans want children, but the numbers change along political lines

Published: 14 Apr. 2025, 11:50 Updated: 14 Apr. 2025, 14:52

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

People participate in rallies for and against the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the Gwanghwamun area of Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 5. [NEWS1]

Only about three in 10 young Koreans say they intend to have children in the future — and their willingness to do so varies significantly by political leaning, a new survey released Sunday showed.

In a survey of 1,794 unmarried people in their 20s and 30s conducted by Seoul National University's (SNU) Population Policy Research Center (PPRC), only 31.2 percent said they intended to have children. A larger share, 39.2 percent, said they did not intend to have children, while 29.6 percent were undecided.

Intentions to marry were higher than intentions to have children, with 38.9 percent of young people saying they wanted to get married.

The researchers asked respondents to identify their political leanings and compared their marriage and childbirth intentions accordingly. Of all respondents, 24.1 percent identified as progressive, 47.9 percent as moderate and 16.5 percent as conservative, with 11.4 percent saying they were politically indifferent.

Among progressives, only 29.7 percent said they intended to have children, compared to 42.8 percent of conservatives — a gap of 13.1 percentage points. Marriage intentions also differed, with 50.8 percent of conservatives saying they wanted to marry, compared to just 38.9 percent of progressives. Moderates’ responses were similar to those of progressives.

The researchers said these differences reflect contrasting views about the potential for social change.

Crowds are seen at a child education fair held at Coex Magok in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on March 27. [NEWS1]

"Progressive young people tend to base their decisions about marriage and childbirth on how much they expect structural problems to improve through government policy support," said Ko Woo-rim, a research assistant professor at SNU’s PPRC. "In contrast, conservative young people seem to make decisions based more on how much their personal circumstances can improve, regardless of government support."

A growing gender divide in political leanings among young people could also lead to “mismatches” in future marriage and childbirth plans, the study found.

Among women surveyed, 26.5 percent identified as progressive — more than double the 12.2 percent who identified as conservative. Among men, however, 23.1 percent identified as conservative, compared to 20.6 percent who identified as progressive.

“Korea’s is an extreme situation, but it serves as a warning to other countries of what can happen when young men and women part ways,” wrote British newspaper the Financial Times last January, reporting on Korea’s extreme political divide among genders. “Its society is riven in two. Its marriage rate has plummeted, and birthrate has fallen precipitously.”

Recent political turmoil has also discouraged many young people from planning marriage or childbirth, the survey found.

A nurse holds up a baby in a neonatal room at a hospital in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on Feb. 26, when the government announced that the total fertility rate rebounded for the first time in 9 years through the 2024 population trend data. [JUN MIN-KYU]

Asked whether they believed that "after the impeachment trial, the future society will have a negative impact on marriage and childbirth," 52.2 percent agreed.

"Seeing political chaos again during this impeachment situation made me feel that this is a difficult society in which to think about having children,” said a 32-year-old woman named Myeong-seon, who participated in protests supporting the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. "I often see cases where my views on marriage and childbirth differ from those of men my age, and I think I’ll be fine living on my own."

Still, the survey found that 45.4 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "I believe I can create the life I want."

"Regardless of political leaning, marriage and childbirth rates may increase depending on how much young people feel they have agency over their future,” said Kim Min-seob, a researcher at SNU’s PPRC. "The political establishment needs to create governance structures that allow young people to have a direct voice in low birthrate policies so that they can feel this sense of agency."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY IM SOUNG-BIN [[email protected]]