The 2012 National Survey on Fertility, Family Health & Welfare in Korea

Abstract

This study is the 22nd and latest in the series of the National Survey on Fertility, Family Health and Welfare, which started in 1964 with a view to contributing to informed policymaking by means of an up-to-date understanding of a wide range of variables that are associated directly or indirectly with marriage, childbirth, child rearing, support for parents, and family health. The findings of this study include the following. First, there has been a slight gain, first time in many years, in the importance of marriage in the public perception. Still, however, most of the Koreans who choose to marry late or not to marry at all do so largely because they have ??no stable job?? or ??cannot afford to marry and have a family.?? Second, having children for a growing number of Koreans has become a mere option, not a necessity. The ideal number of children for married women aged between 15 and 44 was 2.2, while the actual number of children they have on average was 1.6. In the same group, 76.6% responded that they would have no more children. T he rate of pregnancy wastage for the same group declined to 22.4% from 29.0% and 25.8% in 2006 and 2009, respectively. Of particular significance was that there was a marked reduction in the number of induced abortions. Fourth, the overall rate of breastfeeding declined somewhat from what it was in 2009, whereas the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks postpartum increased to 26.7%, 53.0% and 59.1%, respectively. Fifth, ??family health?? (44.4%) and ??family stability?? (41.7%) were the conditions that Koreans consider most important for their families. In comparison, such other factors as ??success??, ??power??, ??wealth,?? ??filial piety?? are considered much less important in keeping the family happy. Sixth, Korean families spends a monthly average amount of KW1.19 million on children, an increase from KW0.75 million, KW0.91 million and KW1.01 million in 2003, 2006 and 2009, respectively. Seventh, Korean men and women are found to have spent KW75.5 million and KW5.23 million on average on their marriage, an increase from KW73 million for men and KW32.6 million for women in 2009.