The LG Economic Research Institute published a report that criticized unreasonably insufficient budgets assigned for government population policies aimed at boosting birth rates . The think tank published a report on Tuesday analyzing the GDP share of population policy budgets among OECD members . According to the report , OECD members with higher - than - average birth rates spent 2 . 6 % of their 2005 to 2007 GDPs to prevent low birth rates . Member countries with lower - than - average birth rates also spent up to 1 . 3 %. South Korea , however , had allotted a mere 0 . 4 % of GDP to address low birth rates . Even after recent government plans to enlarge the budget , the GDP share of population policies will stop at 0 . 8 % by 2015 . Europe abounds with case studies that show countries that have benefited from continuous enlargement of population policy budgets . France , for instance , had apportioned a 2 . 4 % GDP share to population policies in 1980 , which it had raised to 3 . 0 % by 2007 . Accordingly , expected births per fertile women recorded 1 . 95 in 1980 , fell to 1 . 66 in 1994 , and climbed back up to 2 . 0 in 2008 . “ Population policies require economic support and changes in social perceptions , so results will not be visible in the short term , ” said the report . “ However , to avoid following the footsteps of Japan , where the failure of population policies hastened the arrival of an aging society , Korea needs to boldly expand the budget , ” it advised . [ Written by Samji Chung / edited by Soyoung Chung ]