The number of South Koreans between the ages of nine and 24 has nearly halved over the past 40 years, while the number of students from multicultural families has tripled in just a decade.

According to a report released Tuesday by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the number of young people aged nine to 24 is projected to hit seven-point-six million in 2025, or just 14-point-eight percent of the population, down from 34-point-three percent in 1985.

Due to the country’s persistently low birth rate, that figure is expected to decline even further and reach three-point-three million by 2070, making the “youth population” only eight-point-eight percent of the total population.

In contrast, the number of multicultural students has surged over the past ten years, reaching nearly 194-thousand last year and accounting for three-point-eight percent of all elementary, middle and high school students.

The report also revealed that intentional self-harm or suicide remains the leading cause of death among young people, surpassing accidents and cancer, with the suicide rate rising to eleven-point-seven per 100-thousand people in 2023.