VOA新闻杂志2025 韩国去年的出生率增长情况尚不清楚

（单词翻译）

韩国去年的出生率增长情况尚不清楚

Researchers: South Korea‘s Birth Rate Increase Last Year Unclear

The change is welcome news for a country that is dealing¹ with serious population problems.

对于一个正在应对严重人口问题的国家来说，这一变化是一个可喜的消息。

South Korea's statistics agency said recently that 238,300 babies were born last year, an increase of 8,300 from a year earlier.

韩国统计机构最近表示，去年有238300名婴儿出生，比前一年增加了8300名。

The agency said the country's fertility rate -- the average number of babies born to each woman in her reproductive years -- was 0.75 in 2024, up from 0.72 in 2023.

该机构表示，2024年该国的生育率（每位女性在其生育年龄内生育婴儿的平均数量）为0.75，高于2023年的0.72。

The data represents the first time that the yearly number of births has increased since 2015.

该数据表明，自2015年以来全年出生人口数量实现首次增长。

Choi Yoon Kyung is an expert with the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education.

崔允京是韩国儿童保育和教育研究所的专家。

Choi told the Associated Press that researchers must wait for more data over the next few years to see if increased births were driven by "structural² changes".

崔告诉美联社，研究人员必须等待未来几年的更多数据，以确定出生率增加是否由“结构变化”驱动。

Park Hyun Jung is with the government agency Statistics Korea.

朴贤正是政府机构韩国统计局的工作人员。

Park said the agency believes the rise is partly due to an increase in marriages following postponements of such plans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

朴表示，该机构认为，这一增长的部分原因是结婚人数增加，此前在新冠疫情大流行期间，人们推迟了结婚计划。

Park said another reason for the increase is that a growing number of people entered their early 30s.

朴说，这一增长的另一个原因是，是越来越多的人到了30岁出头的年纪。

She also noted³ a government study that shows a small increase in the number of young people hoping to have children after marriage.

她还指出，一项政府研究显示，希望在婚后生育孩子的年轻人数量略有增加。

Official data show South Korea's fertility rate has been the lowest in the developed world in recent years.

官方数据显示，近年来韩国的生育率一直是发达国家中最低的。

In 2022, South Korea was the only country with a fertility rate below one, among members of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

2022年，在总部位于巴黎的经济合作与发展组织成员国中，韩国是唯一一个生育率低于1的国家。

The low fertility rate could threaten South Korea's economic health.

低生育率可能会威胁到韩国的经济健康。

The country, Asia's fourth largest economy, could face labor⁴ shortages and greater spending on public assistance programs.

作为亚洲第四大经济体，该国可能面临劳动力短缺和公共援助项目支出增加的问题。

South Korea's central and local governments have been increasingly offering several support programs to those who give birth to children.

韩国中央和地方政府越来越多地为那些生育孩子的人提供一些支持项目。

But experts say that it will be difficult to solve the country's population problems.

但专家表示，解决该国的人口问题很困难。

Many young people say they do not want to have babies.

许多年轻人说自己不想生孩子。

Their reasons include costly⁵ housing, low levels of upward social movement, the high costs of raising and educating children,

他们给出的原因包括高房价、低水平的向上社会流动、抚养和教育孩子的高成本，

and a culture that requires women to do more of the childcare.

以及要求女性承担更多育儿责任的文化。

Park said that the fertility rate will likely stay on an upward movement at least for another year.

朴表示，至少在未来一年里，生育率将保持上升趋势。

But observers say it remains⁶ to be seen whether the rate will go back down as post-pandemic marriages even out.

但观察人士表示，随着新冠疫情大流行后婚姻趋于平衡状态，生育率是否会回落还有待观察。

The country's population structure will also change, with a drop in the number of people in their early 30s.

该国的人口结构也将发生变化，30岁出头的人口数量将下降。

Some experts argue that the government should pay more attention to supporting young couples who want to have babies.

一些专家认为，政府应该更加注重支持那些想要孩子的年轻夫妇。

"There are still people with solid wills to have a family and babies.

“仍然有人有坚定的意愿要成家和生孩子。

When we help them realize their hopes, our fertility rate won't suffer a steep, 45-degree drop," Choi said.

当我们帮助其实现自己的希望时，我们的生育率就不会按照45度下降趋势急剧下降，”崔说。

I'm John Russell.

约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。