The national statistics body reported Wednesday that the fertility rate, or the average number of children expected per woman, fell to 0. South Korea spent $200 billion, but it can't pay people enough to have a baby Experts say the reasons for these demographic shifts across the region include demanding work cultures, stagnating wages, rising costs of living, changing attitudes toward marriage and gender equality, and rising disillusionment among younger generations. For instance, South Korean society still frowns on single parents, with IVF treatment not available to single women