For the first time in nine years, South Korea’s birthrate has risen, reversing a long-term declining trend that led it to hit record lows. This reversal marks the end of an eight-year streak of declining fertility rates, making South Korea the sole member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with a fertility rate below 1. Even neighboring Japan, known for its aging population, has a higher birthrate at 1.2.
The birthrate, which indicates the average number of children born to each woman in her lifetime, requires a rate of 2.1 to maintain a population at current levels. Statistics Korea reported a rise in the birthrate to 0.75 in 2024, from a historic low of 0.72 in the previous year. Despite this increase, the birthrate remains well below the needed 2.1 rate and is particularly low in Seoul, where over 18% of the population resides.
In South Korea, more than 240,000 births were registered in 2023, higher than the previous year’s 235,000 but far below the 600,000 to 700,000 births recorded in each year during the 1990s. The country also experienced 120,000 more deaths than births in 2023. The increase in births is linked to a higher number of marriages in 2024, with 14.9% more marriages than the previous year, the largest rise since records began in 1970.
South Korea’s population has remained flat, declining slightly to just over 51.2% in 2023, with the majority of the population consisting of people in their 50s and older, making it a super-aged society. The government’s efforts to increase the birthrate have included more than 360 trillion won ($270 billion) in childcare subsidies and other cash incentives. New measures include increasing paternity leave and implementing flexible work hours for parents, showing the government’s commitment to addressing the issue of declining birth rates.
Experts remain skeptical about the sustainability of this birthrate increase, noting that the rate of 0.75 is still far below the required 2.1. The population is projected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072. They argue that the focus should be on understanding why young people are hesitant to get married or have children, rather than just on government measures to encourage these outcomes, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the factors influencing fertility rates in South Korea.
The birthrate, which indicates the average number of children born to each woman in her lifetime, requires a rate of 2.1 to maintain a population at current levels. Statistics Korea reported a rise in the birthrate to 0.75 in 2024, from a historic low of 0.72 in the previous year. Despite this increase, the birthrate remains well below the needed 2.1 rate and is particularly low in Seoul, where over 18% of the population resides.
In South Korea, more than 240,000 births were registered in 2023, higher than the previous year’s 235,000 but far below the 600,000 to 700,000 births recorded in each year during the 1990s. The country also experienced 120,000 more deaths than births in 2023. The increase in births is linked to a higher number of marriages in 2024, with 14.9% more marriages than the previous year, the largest rise since records began in 1970.
South Korea’s population has remained flat, declining slightly to just over 51.2% in 2023, with the majority of the population consisting of people in their 50s and older, making it a super-aged society. The government’s efforts to increase the birthrate have included more than 360 trillion won ($270 billion) in childcare subsidies and other cash incentives. New measures include increasing paternity leave and implementing flexible work hours for parents, showing the government’s commitment to addressing the issue of declining birth rates.
Experts remain skeptical about the sustainability of this birthrate increase, noting that the rate of 0.75 is still far below the required 2.1. The population is projected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072. They argue that the focus should be on understanding why young people are hesitant to get married or have children, rather than just on government measures to encourage these outcomes, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the factors influencing fertility rates in South Korea.
