Elementary student enrollment nationwide this year is expected to fall to the 300-thousands as the nation continues to contend with a declining birth rate.

According to government data from last month compiled by the education and interior ministries, 413-thousand-56 children are eligible to enter elementary school this year, with 90 percent of the eligible total typically enrolling in March.

With the exclusion of preschoolers for whom a deferment or exemption from school is sought due to overseas migration, health or other reasons from the total, the number of first-year elementary school students is expected to fall below 400-thousand in 2024.

Officials add that the figure is likely to drop even further in 2026, with enrollment to fall to the 200-thousand range in two years.