he population of Seoul fell under 10m for the first time in nearly three decades due to soaring housing prices in the city.

因房价飞涨，首尔市的人口近30年来首次下降至1000万以下。

Seoul's population came to 9,995,784 as of the end of May, down 7,195 from a month earlier, according to the data released by the South Korean Ministry¹ of the Interior. It has not dropped below the 10m mark since the capital became a mega city in 1988.

韩国内政部近日发布的数据显示，截至5月底，首尔的人口为999.5784万人，环比下降7195人。自1988年首都首尔成为超大城市以来，该市人口从未跌破1000万大关。

The number has been decreasing for 15 consecutive² months since March last year, according to data.

根据数据显示，自去年3月以来，该数字已连续15个月下降。

"The drop below the symbolic³ 10-million mark in population is a new change," said Eun Ki-soo, a professor at Seoul National University. "Considering the decrease in overall population due to the nationwide low birthrate and exorbitant⁴ housing costs, it is unlikely that Seoul will be able to regain⁵ the 10-million mark down the road."

国立首尔大学的恩基秀教授表示：“人口下滑至里程碑性的千万以下是一个新的转变。鉴于韩国全国的出生率继续走低及租房费用过高，今后首尔人口很难保持千万水平”

According to moving-in reports made by those who left Seoul, housing was the most frequently cited reason, said Lee Ji-yeon, an official at Statistics Korea.

韩国统计局官员李智妍表示，根据离开首尔的人所做的迁移报告，住房是他们最常提到的离开原因。

"Previously⁶, birthrate often contributed to the increase in Seoul's population, but now with the low birthrate trend, it (population) is mostly decided⁷ by people moving," she added.

李智妍补充道："以前出生率是首尔人口增长的主要原因，但如今，在低出生率的趋势下，人口数量主要是由人口流动决定的。"

The government's recent data showed that the fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, stood at 1.24 in 2014, well below the proper level of 1.8 needed to sustain the current population.

根据政府的最新数据显示，生育率或者说一个女人一生中的平均生育数，在2014年是1.24，低于维持当前人口所需的适当水平：1.8。

Meanwhile, the population in Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, increased by 6.85 percent to some 12.5 million from 11.7 million in 2010, the data showed.

同时，根据数据显示，地理上包围首尔的京畿道的人口从2010年的1170万人增加了6.85%，达到了1250万。