Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea rose at the fastest rate in 14 years in November, driven partly by an increase in marriages in the post-pandemic era and shifting perceptions toward marriage and parenthood, the country’s statistics agency said on Wednesday.
According to the data compiled by Statistics Korea, a total of 20,095 babies were born in November 2024, up 14.6 per cent from the 17,530 newborns during the same period a year earlier, Yonhap news agency reported.
It marked the largest on-year increase since November 2010, when the number of childbirths grew by 17.5 per cent.
The report also showed that the number of couples getting married soared 11.3 per cent on-year to 18,581 in November.
For the January–November period, 199,903 couples tied the knot, marking a 13.5 per cent on-year increase.
South Korea has long struggled with a declining birth rate as many young people opt to delay or forgo marriage and parenthood. In response, the government has introduced various policies to encourage marriage and support child-rearing, including benefits for newlyweds and expanded childcare assistance.
“After the pandemic, we have seen an increase in marriages and the birth of first and second children,” said Im Young-il, an agency official.
“There have also been gradual shifts in the perception of marriage and childbirth due to factors such as government policies.”
The number of deaths, meanwhile, dropped 3.8 per cent on-year to 29,219 in November.
Accordingly, South Korea reported a natural population decrease of 9,124 in the month.
The number of deaths has continued to exceed the number of newborns since the fourth quarter of 2019.
The number of babies born in South Korea rose for the first time in nine years in 2024, the government data showed.
A total of 242,334 babies were born last year, up 3.1 per cent from a year earlier, according to resident registration data from the interior ministry.
It marked the first annual rise in South Korea after eight consecutive years of decline. The total number of registered population stood at 51,217,221 last year, shrinking for five years straight since 2020.