New elementary school enrollment to drop below 300,000 for 1st time amid low birth rate

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- The number of children entering elementary schools in South Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday.

The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,000, just three years after dropping below the 400,000 mark, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI).

The decline comes as only 272,337 babies were born in 2020, down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

A total of 301,442 students enrolled as elementary school freshmen this year, barely surpassing the 300,000 mark and marking the lowest level since 1964, when the ministry began compiling related data.

The figure is expected to fall further next year to roughly one-fourth of the 1.05 million recorded in 1968.

The shrinking school-age population has raised concerns over school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap between regions.

The number of new first graders at elementary schools is projected to continue shrinking until 2030, though the figure is expected to remain above 200,000 as childbirths rebounded in 2024.

The number of births rose to 238,317 in 2024 and 254,341 in 2025, following years of decline.