A recent survey shows South Korean women’s intentions to bear children, or fertility intentions, were the lowest when compared to major countries within the United Nations.

According to preliminary findings from a survey on family and low birth rates that will be presented by the Korea Women's Development Institute at the 140th Gender Equality Policy Forum on Thursday, Korean women’s willingness to give birth stood at one-point-58 on a scale of one to five.

It marks the lowest reading among eight countries including the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Norway and Austria.

The data also showed the gap between men and women's willingness to bear children was the largest in South Korea, with Korean men’s intentions at two-point-09 points, just over half a point higher than their female counterparts.

In contrast, in the United Kingdom, childbearing intentions between men and women stood at two-point-26 and two-point-22, respectively.
 
While South Korea had the highest awareness of the need for children, the country’s total fertility rate was the lowest in the zero-point-seven range.

The findings from the Women's Family Panel Survey, which aims to analyze changing family patterns and the prospects of a new generation, was conducted on two-thousand-634 men and women aged 19-59 across the country.