South Korea Sees First Birthrate Increase in Nine Years Amid Rise in Marriages

• Feb 26, 2025

Growth Remains Modest and Well Below Population Replacement Level

South Korea’s birthrate saw a slight increase in 2024, marking the first rise in nearly a decade, as a surge in marriages fueled hopes that the country could be making progress in addressing its demographic challenges.

According to preliminary data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of births per 1,000 people in 2024 stood at 4.7, marking the first increase since 2014. The country's fertility rate—representing the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—rose to 0.75, up from 0.72 in 2023. In total, 238,300 babies were born last year, an increase of 8,300, or 3.6%, compared to the previous year.

Despite this improvement, the birthrate remains critically low and far below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman needed to stabilize the population without relying on large-scale immigration. Since 2018, South Korea has been the only OECD country with a fertility rate below 1.0, a milestone the government aims to reach by 2030.

Experts attribute the country’s demographic decline to high living costs, a competitive job market, and shifting societal attitudes toward marriage and traditional gender roles. While government initiatives, such as financial incentives for newlyweds and expanded childcare support, have had some impact, deep-rooted economic and social factors continue to discourage larger families.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose administration has allocated billions of dollars to boost birthrates, has called the issue a "national crisis" and proposed establishing a new ministry to address the demographic challenge. However, Yoon's political future remains uncertain as the constitutional court deliberates over his impeachment following his controversial declaration of martial law in December.

Statistics Korea official Park Hyun-jung noted that the increase in marriages, which began after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, has continued. Marriages, a key indicator of birthrate trends in South Korea, surged by 14.9% in 2024, marking the largest jump since records began in 1970.

“There has been a shift in social attitudes, with more positive views toward marriage and parenthood,” Park said in a briefing. She also highlighted that a rise in the number of people in their early 30s contributed to the birthrate increase.

Despite this modest uptick in births, South Korea's overall population continues to decline, with deaths exceeding births by 120,000 in 2024—marking the fifth consecutive year of natural population shrinkage. The country's population, which peaked at 51.83 million in 2020, is projected to drop to 36.22 million by 2072, according to the latest government estimates.

To combat long-term population decline, officials argue that South Korea must consider increasing immigration. Joo Hyung-hwan, vice-chairman of a presidential committee on aging and population, emphasized the need for a broader strategy beyond simply increasing birthrates.

“Instead of focusing solely on boosting the birthrate, we need a more comprehensive approach, including attracting more foreign workers and residents,” Joo said, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

As of 2024, South Korea’s foreign resident population stood at 2.65 million, making up about 5% of the total population.