South Korea`s blood supply could be at risk due to the graying population and low birth rate.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Red Cross on Monday, the number of eligible blood donors is forecast to start declining from 2020, shrinking to 29 million by 2050 from 39.22 million.

Over the same 30 years, the senior population who need donated blood the most would increase by 9.91 million.

Teens and 20s make up more than 70 percent of total blood donors in Korea based on the past five year data. Students are the largest donor group, accounting for an average 53.8 percent of the total donor base, followed by office workers at 18.3 percent and soldiers at 14.3 percent.

Data showed that blood donations by these young people slipped from 2.22 million to 1.93 million.

The number of students in the country declined 10 percent to 7.38 million last year from 2012. In the cited period, the senior population grew 16.1 percent to 6.76 million, while the number of elderly blood recipients surged 28 percent to 410,000.

The Korean Red Cross plans to increase blood supply by urging donations from older generations through various campaigns with related ministries and regional governments.

By Kim Myung-hwan and Kim Hyo-jin

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]