Number of people over 40 and single jumps sixfold in two decades (Yonhap/18 Dec 2024)

Yonhap News highlights the sharp rise in single people over 40 in South Korea, with proportions growing sixfold since 2000, reflecting delayed marriages and lifelong singlehood—key contributors to the country’s ultra-low birth rate. Younger generations increasingly view marriage as non-essential, with attitudes shifting toward cohabitation and non-traditional family structures. Economic and caregiving burdens further deter young people from marriage, underscoring societal challenges linked to declining fertility rates.