The number of newborns in August set a new record low as the natural population decline over the first eight months of this year neared 80-thousand.

According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, 21-thousand-758 babies were born in August, down two-point-four percent from a year earlier to continue the trend of setting on-year record lows for 77 consecutive months since April 2016.

Deaths in August rose 15-point-eight percent on-year to set a monthly record of 30-thousand-001, with an official from the agency attributing the high figure to the aging population and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The natural population increase, calculated by subtracting deaths from births, reached negative 80-thousand-243 in August to continue a 34-month streak of decline.

With the August numbers, the first eight months of the year registered 170-thousand-337 cumulative births while there were 249-thousand-799 deaths, leading to a population decline of 79-thousand-461.