The eligibility for benefits given to households with multiple children is expected to be expanded as South Korea faces a globally low birth rate crisis.

The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy said on Thursday that support policies must be changed from the current three-child threshold to support households with two or more children as the nation attempts to head off a demographic nosedive.

Pledging active efforts from the central and local governments to share the burden of raising multiple children, the committee will review mid- to long-term tasks to expand eligibility for the array of benefits by establishing a negotiating group with central ministries and local governments.

The government has already expanded some benefits for households with multiple children this year, including allowing second children in low-income households to be eligible for national scholarships.

Local governments are also providing other benefits, such as housing deposit loans for families with two or more children, one of the 901 support initiatives offered to households with multiple children, which is 144 more than on offer last year.