“한국 사교육 경쟁이 출산율 28% 떨어뜨려”

South Korean education competition has led to a 28% reduction in birth rates, according to a recent study. Researchers estimate that without competition in private schools, the average number of children per family could be 30% higher. Professor Eum Jeon of Virginia Commonwealth University presented the findings at a joint conference of the Bank of Korea, CEPR, and OECD.

The research, titled 'Status Competition, Intensive Parenting and Korea's Low Fertility,' suggests that 'status competition' drives private education spending to unsustainable levels, suppressing birth rates. The study utilized variables such as regional and temporal changes in the regulation of after-school tutoring to validate the findings.

It was noted that if there were no competition in private schools, the average number of children per family in South Korea could be 28% higher (1.92 to 2.45). The analysis also found that low-income families spend a larger proportion of their income on private education (8.4% for the 1st income quintile, 5.1% for the 5th). Professor Em emphasized the need for a combination of high-income tax and subsidies for child-rearing incentives.

Meanwhile, Professor Hayashi of Japan's Graduate School of Policy Studies highlighted that Japan's long-term stagnation can be largely attributed to an early aging population, which will likely spread to other developed countries in East Asia.