Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea increased at the most rapid rate in 15 years in 2025, as the country's total fertility rate climbed to 0.8 for the first time in four years, government data revealed on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 254,500 babies were born last year, marking a 6.8 percent increase, or 16,100 more births, compared to 2024. This data comes from the provisional statistics released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, with final numbers expected in August.
This increase in 2025 represents the steepest year-on-year growth since 2010 and marks the second consecutive year of rising birth numbers. The total fertility rate, which reflects the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, reached 0.8, up by 0.05 from the previous year, hitting this level for the first time in four years.
The ministry attributed the rise in births to an increase in marriages and the continued growth in the population of women in their early 30s, who are in the prime childbearing age group, since 2021. "The number of marriages gained ground for 21 straight months from April 2024 to December last year as couples who had delayed their marriages due to the COVID-19 pandemic tied the knot," stated Park Hyun-jeong, a ministry official.
Park also noted a shift in social attitudes toward childbirth, with the ministry's latest biennial survey in 2024 indicating a rise in the number of people intending to have children after marriage compared to two years earlier. Additionally, there was an increase in the proportion of individuals willing to have children outside of marriage.
Regarding the total fertility rate, Park projected that the figure would remain above 0.8 this year and could potentially reach the 1 mark by 2031.
The data also showed a 1.3 percent increase in the number of deaths, totaling 363,400 in 2025, resulting in a natural population decline of 110,000.