South Korea sees first birth increase in a decade

From January through August, 168,671 babies were born in South Korea, a 6.8% increase from the same period last year. This is the first year-over-year rise in cumulative births since 2015.

According to the “August Population Trends” report released Oct. 29 by the National Data Office, 20,867 babies were born in August, up 3.8% from the same month last year. Monthly births have increased for 14 consecutive months since July 2024. The cumulative births from January through August, totaling 168,671, mark the first annual rise since 2015, when the rate was 1.3%. The 6.8% increase is the second-highest for the January-August period since records began in 1981, behind 8.2% in 2007.

The total fertility rate in August reached 0.77, up 0.02 from a year earlier. The rate represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime.

Marriage numbers, a leading indicator of births, also rose. In August, 19,449 couples wed, up 11% from a year earlier, the highest for the month since 2017. Marriages in August 2024 increased 20% from the same month in 2023, marking the second consecutive year of double-digit growth.

Marriage figures have risen for 17 consecutive months since April 2024. By contrast, divorces in August fell to 7,196, down 5.5% from the previous year.


Ae-Jin Ju jaj@donga.com