New data finds that the number of marriages in South Korea are falling sharply amid a steep population decline.

According to data released by Statistics Korea on Thursday, the number of marriages amounted to a record low 214-thousand last year. Marriages have continuously seen a decline since 2012.

The agency attributed the record low figure to a slide in the number of people in their 30s, changes in values and financial burdens related to housing and education fees. 

In particular, marriages slipped by ten-point-seven percent in 2020 compared to 2019 after many couples put it off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The drop was the sharpest since 1971.

Meanwhile, the agency found that the number of divorces also fell three-point-nine percent during the same period, posting a decline for the first time in three years.