The birth rate is showing an upward trend again. (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, June 25 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s monthly births exceeded 20,000 for the first time in three years this April, driven by a rise in marriages and an increase in women in their early 30s, marking the sharpest April growth in birth rate in over three decades.
According to Statistics Korea’s latest population data released Tuesday, 20,717 babies were born in April, up 8.7 percent (1,658 births) from a year earlier. It is the highest April growth rate since 1991 and the first time the figure has surpassed 20,000 since April 2022.
From January to April, total births reached 85,739, reflecting a 7.7 percent year-on-year increase. April also marked the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year birth increases. The country’s total fertility rate—the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—rose slightly to 0.79, up from 0.73 the previous year.
Officials attributed the rebound to a combination of more marriages, a larger population of women in their early 30s, and pro-birth government and local policies.
Firstborns accounted for 62 percent of April births, up 1.2 percentage points from last year. Births of second and third or higher-order children declined slightly, reflecting a continuing trend of delayed marriage and smaller families.
Despite the positive trend, births continued to lag behind deaths. April saw 28,785 deaths, resulting in a natural population decline of 8,068 people.
Marriages in April rose to 18,921 cases, up 4.9 percent from a year earlier, extending a 13-month growth streak. Cumulatively, January to April saw 77,625 marriages, a 7.5 percent increase from the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, divorces dropped. April recorded 7,299 divorces, down 5.2 percent from last year. Total divorces from January through April fell 5.5 percent year-on-year to 28,778.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
