South Korea saw its birth rate grow in 2024, Statistics Korea announced Wednesday, marking the country’s first increase in nine years. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (UPI) — South Korea’s birth rate rose in 2024, the country’s statistics agency reported on Wednesday, marking the first increase in nine years in a slight respite from a looming demographic crisis.
A total of 238,300 babies were born last year, up 3.6% on-year from a record low of 230,000 in 2023, Statistics Korea said in a provisional report. South Korea’s fertility rate also grew for the first time in nine years, reaching 0.75 in 2024 after a record-low 0.72 the previous year.
Officials credited the rebound to a number of factors, including the impact of government incentives and a boom in postponed marriages after the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
“The rising trend in marriages that began after the COVID-19 pandemic has continued,” Park Hyun-jeong, an official from Statistics Korea, told a press briefing.
A total of 222,422 couples were married in 2024, up 14.9% from the previous year. Park noted it was the highest number of marriages since 1996 and the steepest annual increase since the agency began compiling relevant statistics in 1981.
Park also pointed to changing social attitudes and demographic trends as keys to the birth rate boost. In particular, the number of people in their early 30s — a key childbearing age — has grown.
“The population structure has increased significantly with those in their early 30s,” Park said. “This has had a big impact. And there’s been a change in the way we think about childbirth, with more positive attitudes.”
Despite the modest increase, South Korea’s birth rate remains by far the lowest in the world. Its fertility rate of 0.75 means that for every 100 women, just 75 babies are expected to be born over their lifetimes.
That mark is half the average rate of the 38 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. A fertility rate of 2.1 is considered the level needed to keep a population from declining.
In response, the South Korean government has introduced various policies to encourage marriage and support child-rearing, including financial incentives for new parents and expanded parental leave and childcare assistance. A recent plan even includes reduced highway tolls for families with three or more children and parking discounts at airports and cultural venues.
The Seoul city government, meanwhile, hosted a speed-dating event on Valentine’s Day as part of an initiative to help more singles meet and start relationships.
Experts note that it is unclear whether the upward trend will continue. The number of people in their 30s is projected to decline starting in 2027, potentially limiting future increases in the birth rate, but Park said other factors may help mitigate the crisis.
“Since the number of women of childbearing age is decreasing, the number of births may seem to be declining in the future,” she said. “However, there are other things that can affect the total fertility rate, such as government policy and changes in social values.”
The South Korean government is aiming to increase the birth rate to 1.0 by 2030.