SEOUL, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- South Korea's population growth rate has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, the the government reported Sunday, up a mere .32 percent from 2002.
The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs released statistics estimating the nation's population at 48.38 million as of Jan. 1 this year, the Korea Times reported, up from 48.22 million a year earlier.
The growth rate is the lowest since 1974, the Times said, dropping from 0.60 percent in 2002 and 0.43 percent in 2003.
In the past 30 years, the only year when the nation's population has grown by more than 1 million was in 1977 when it increased by 1.11 million, according to the ministry.
A ministry official attributed the drop in the population growth rate to the nation's diminishing birthrate, which has steadily dropped from 4.53 in 1970 to 2.83 in 1980, 1.59 in 1990, and 1.3 in 2001. The rate dropped further to 1.17 in 2002, the lowest level since the government started to compile the data in 1970.
