한국의 남성 출산력: 남성 합계출산율과 평균 출산연령의 지역별 차이

초록

Despite growing concerns on low fertility, little is known about male fertility in South Korea. This study explores the fertility levels of men in South Korea using birth registration data between 1998 and 2019. We calculate the total fertility rate (TFR) of male and mean age at fatherhood (MAF), comparing them with female TFR and mean age at childbearing (MAC). We also divide the country into metropolitan, mid-sized cities and rural area to compare differences in TFR and MAF, and conduct a decomposition analysis of changes in TFR. The findings show that men's TFR is slightly lower than women's, while men's MAF is 2.7-3.0 years higher than women’s MAC, with minor variations. Unlike women, whose TFR and MAC correlate with urbanization, men's TFR and mean age at fatherhood showed inconsistent patterns. Since the mid-2010s, the highest TFR for men was in mid-sized cities, followed by rural areas and metropolitan areas. The mean age at fatherhood was highest in metropolitan areas, followed by rural and mid-sized cities. Despite regional population movements, changes in male TFR from 1998 to 2019 were mainly due to fertility rate effects. Understanding the quantum and tempo of male fertility offers distinct insights into the causes and consequences of fertility change in a society.

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