Amid an alarmingly declining birthrate, South Korea’s online market undergoes a significant change as sales of dog strollers exceed those of baby strollers, indicating a steady increase in households embracing pet ownership.

According to data from online open market Gmarket on Monday, the sales of dog strollers during the first three quarters of this year have, for the first time, exceeded those of baby strollers. When considering the combined sales of both categories as 100, the proportion of dog stroller sales rose steeply from 33 percent in 2021 and 36 percent last year to a staggering 57 percent in the first three quarters of this year. In contrast, baby stroller sales, which accounted for 67 percent in 2021 and dropped to 64 percent last year, plummeted to 43 percent this year, relinquishing its dominance to dog strollers.

Statistics Korea data reveals a significant decline in the proportion of the population under the age of 10, plummeting from 14.43 percent in 2000 to 9.63 percent in 2010, 7.82 percent in 2020, and reaching 6.6 percent this year. Projections suggest a further decline to 4.74 percent in the next decade. This decrease directly impacts the dwindling absolute demand for baby strollers.

The country’s total fertility rate, which denotes the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, has shown a sharp decline from 1.48 in 2000 to 1.23 in 2010, 0.84 in 2020, and a further drop to 0.78 last year. Based on median estimates, Statistics Korea projects a reduction to 0.72 this year and a further decline to 0.68 next year.

The decrease in the purchase of baby strollers is also attributed to the aftermath of economic downturns, prompting a tendency to opt for second-hand purchases or short-term rentals instead of buying new strollers. Rental services allow individuals to lease a stroller, priced at around 2 million won ($1,500) if purchased, for about 400,000 won over six months.

Conversely, the number of households raising pets continues to rise in the country. Government statistics indicate that last year, about 6.02 million households or 25.4 percent were engaged in raising pets, accounting for one in every four households. Estimated by the population, this suggests that the number of individuals raising pets may surpass 10 million.

By Park Hong-ju and Minu Kim

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