A woman checks pet strollers displayed at the K-Pet Fair in an exhibition hall in southern Seoul, in this file photo from June 28, 2020. Newsis

In yet another sign of Korea's falling birthrate, sales of pet strollers have exceeded those of baby strollers this year for the first time, according to Gmarket, an e-commerce platform operator.

Data released on Sunday showed that 43 percent of the total number of strollers sold on the platform during the first three quarters of this year were for human infants, while the remaining 57 percent were strollers designed for animals, mainly dogs and cats.

The ratio of infant stroller sales among the total strollers kept falling from 67 percent in 2021 and 64 percent in 2020 to 43 percent this year — meaning the ratio for pet strollers continued to rise from 33 percent in 2021 to 36 percent in 2022 and 57 percent this year.

The sales figures demonstrate a consistent trend in recent years, a Gmarket official said, adding that the company may need an in-depth analysis to figure out why the drop in baby stroller sales was particularly steep in 2023.

What's clear is that the numbers correctly reflect some of the rising trends, such as the nation's record-low number of newborns and increasing number of people living with pets.

According to Statistics Korea, the total fertility rate ― the average number of children that would be born per woman ― was 0.78 in 2022, the lowest in the world. The figure is forecast to drop even further. The national statistical organization said the fertility rate is expected to be 0.72 this year and fall below 0.7 to 0.68 in 2024 before rising again.

Meanwhile, the number of households raising pets is increasing. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs shows that more than 6 million households had pets last year, compared to 3.6 million in 2012.