The ratio of teenage single mothers among total unmarried mothers has been decreasing while that of single mothers in their late 20s has been rising, according to a recent study.

The ratio of teenage single mothers aged 16 to 20 who committed overseas adoption of their babies to adoption centers was 53.1 percent in 2002 with 1,827 girls, according to the study by Hallym University’s social welfare professor Huh Nam-soon.

It kept decreasing to 41.6 percent with 1,586 girls in 2003 and 35.8 percent with 1,233 in 2004.

However, the ratio of unmarried women aged 26 and over who had babies has been rising _ 8.9 percent with 305 women in 2002, 17.3 percent with 662 in 2003, and 26.7 percent with 918 people in 2004.

Based on data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Huh announced the study on Tuesday at a seminar held in Seoul by Korea Prolife, a civic group against abortion, about protection and welfare of single mothers.

The ratio of single mothers aged under 15 also decreased from 5.2 percent with 180 girls in 2002 to 4.5 percent with 172 in 2003 and 3.5 percent with 122 girls in 2004.

The ratio of single mothers aged 20-25 has been similar every year.

``In the case of teenage girls’ pregnancy, many of them have abortion as their parents make them do so, although there are no exact data about it,’’ Huh said.

``In the case of those in their late 20s, the average age of marriage has gone up and more and more women have premarital sex with their boyfriends. I guess when they are pregnant, they think about getting married with the boyfriends and sometimes miss the timing to have abortion,’’ she said.

They also consider life dear more than teenagers do, and have more responsibility for their behavior than teenagers, Huh added.

Han Sang-soon, director of a single mother’s facility Aeranwon, also showed at the seminar that the ratio of unmarried mothers who chose to raise the babies instead of adoption has increased from 2.7 percent in 1984 to 3.5 percent in 1996 and 31.7 percent last year.

``The ratio selecting rearing of babies is increasing along with the increase in the number of single mothers in their 20s, as they have more responsibility and have better financial ability than teenagers. However, considering the number of women who sought adoption of their babies is also increasing, they still need more financial support and other helps in childcare, residence, study and employment,’’ Han said.