Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea increased for the eighth consecutive month in February, data showed Wednesday, in a sign for a country struggling with a demographic crisis. A total of 20,035 babies were born in February, up 3.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the figure has been on an upward trend since July 2024, marking the first time since 2014 that births in February have increased from the previous year. This increase in births is accompanied by a rise in the number of couples getting married, which jumped 14.3 percent on-year to 19,370 in February. This is the highest number of marriages in February since 2017, marking the 11th straight month of growth in marriage registrations.
"Thanks to the rise in marriages and other factors, the increase in births continues," Kang Hyun-young, an official from the agency, said. She added that the number of newborns is expected to maintain its upward trend in the coming months. South Korea has been grappling with a persistent decline in its birth rate, as an increasing number of young people choose to delay or avoid marriage and parenthood. To encourage marriage and improve the fertility rate, the government has introduced marriage benefits and childcare support programs.
In a sign, the number of babies born in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years in 2024, driven by a post-pandemic rise in marriages, evolving attitudes toward parenthood, and demographic changes. The number of deaths, meanwhile, gained 1.3 percent on-year to 30,283 in February. Accordingly, South Korea reported a natural population decrease of 10,248 in the month.
The number of deaths has continued to exceed the number of newborns since the fourth quarter of 2019. The number of couples getting divorced inched down 0.1 percent on-year to 7,347, according to the data.