Listen "Not Making Babies in South Korea"
Episode Synopsis
Why does South Korea have the lowest fertility rate in the world?
The average South Korean woman is expected to have 1.05 children in her life - exactly half the rate needed to maintain a population. That means a shrinking workforce paying less taxes and more elderly people who will need expensive care. South Korea's government has pumped tens of billions of pounds into dealing with the problem over the past decade, but the fertility rate is still going down. In this whodunnit, Simon Maybin finds out who's not doing it - and why.
Producer: John Murphy
Presenter: Simon Maybin.
The average South Korean woman is expected to have 1.05 children in her life - exactly half the rate needed to maintain a population. That means a shrinking workforce paying less taxes and more elderly people who will need expensive care. South Korea's government has pumped tens of billions of pounds into dealing with the problem over the past decade, but the fertility rate is still going down. In this whodunnit, Simon Maybin finds out who's not doing it - and why.
Producer: John Murphy
Presenter: Simon Maybin.
More episodes of the podcast Crossing Continents
‘A new foe’: Conscripting women in Denmark
23/09/2025
Kenya: A Battle for Gen Z
16/09/2025
Saving Gaza's Past
08/09/2025
Galicia’s wild horses in peril
02/09/2025
Tajikistan’s Last, Lonely Hyenas
12/08/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.