Why Giving Money Isn’t Fixing South Korea’s Birth Problem

South Korea is having a big problem. Only a few babies are being born there. South Korea now has the lowest birth rate in the world. For every woman, only 0.72 babies are born on average. This is very low and it’s causing worry.

The Government Tried Giving Money

To fix this problem, the government has been giving out money. They’ve spent $280 billion over 18 years. New parents get vouchers worth about $1,500 for their first baby. They get even more money for more babies. Every month, parents also get money to help care for their children.

Why Aren’t People Having Babies?

There are many reasons why young people in South Korea aren’t having babies:

• Life is costly
• Many people work long hours
• It’s hard to find good housing
• Taking care of children is difficult and costs a lot
• Some people want more free time for themselves
  
  

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Experts Say Money Isn’t Enough

Smart people who study this problem say that just giving out money isn’t the best answer. They think the government should do other things to help:

• Make better schools for everyone
• Provide good, cheap childcare
• Help people find affordable houses
• Make it easier for parents to take time off work when they have a baby

New Ideas to Help

The government is trying some new things:

• They’re making it easier for families with young children to get houses
• They’re starting more after-school programs for kids
• They built a fast train to help people who live far from work

Will These Ideas Work?

One can only wonder if these new ideas are going to achieve something. As some specialists underline, if a country has a very low birth rate for a long time it is very difficult to shift this position. Thus, even if these ideas do not have a direct function of producing more children, they can at least ensure that the lives of families in South Korea will be better. 

What’s Next?

The government still expects that, within the next few years, more babies will be born. However, they will still attempt other methods to assist families and improve the lives of all people in South Korea.