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

In 2024, births rose for the first time in nine years, a welcome sign for a country facing serious population challenges. South Korea's national statistics agency recently reported that 238,300 babies were born, up 8,300 from 2023.

The agency also said the fertility rate — the average number of children a woman has in her reproductive years — was 0.75 in 2024, up from 0.72 in 2023. The data marked the first time that the yearly number of births increased since 2015.

Choi Yoon Kyung, an expert with 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 rise reflects structural changes.

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

Official data show South Korea's fertility rate has been the lowest among developed nations in recent years. In 2022, South Korea was the only country with a fertility rate below one among members of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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. The central and local governments have been increasingly offering several support programs to those who give birth.

But experts say that solving the country's population problems will be difficult. Many young people say they do not want to have babies.