The number of blood donors in South Korea is steadily declining, exacerbated by record-low birthrates.

According to data from the Korean Red Cross on Sunday, the number of blood donations totaled approximately two-point-85 million last year.

The figure had dropped to around two-point-six million in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic before rebounding to two-point-65 million in 2022 and two-point-78 million in 2023.

However, the number of individuals who donated blood at least once declined from one-point-32 million in 2022 to one-point-three million in 2023, and further to one-point-26 million in 2024.

Last year's figure was even lower than those recorded in 2020 and 2021, marking the lowest level since 2005, when Statistics Korea began publishing the data.

The 2024 figure represents a 25-point-four percent decrease from 2014, when it stood at one-point-69 million.