Researchers: South Korea's Birth Rate Increase Last Year Unclear

In 2024, births rose for the first time in nine years, offering some relief to a country facing serious population challenges.

South Korea's statistics agency recently reported that 238,300 babies were born, an increase of 8,300 from the previous year.

The agency noted that the fertility rate—the average number of children a woman would have during her reproductive years—was 0.75 in 2024, up from 0.72 in 2023. This marks the first uptick in annual births since 2015.

Choi Yoon Kyung of the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education told the Associated Press that researchers must wait for more data over the next few years to determine whether the higher birth numbers reflect structural changes.

Park Hyun Jung of Statistics Korea said the rise is partly due to more marriages following postponements of such plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also noted that a growing number of people are entering their early 30s, and cited a government study showing a small increase in young people hoping to have children after marriage.

Official data show South Korea's fertility rate has been the lowest among the developed nations in recent years. In 2022, Korea was the only country in the OECD with a fertility rate below one.

The low fertility rate could threaten South Korea's economic health. As Asia's fourth-largest economy, the country could face labor shortages and greater spending on public assistance programs. Both central and local governments have increasingly offered several support programs to those who give birth to children.

Yet experts say solving the population problems will be difficult. Many young people say they do not want to have babies.