Seoul, June 24: South Korea has experienced a notable increase in its birth rate. In April, the country recorded an 18 percent rise compared to the previous year, marking the highest rate in seven years, according to government data released on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Data and Statistics reported that a total of 24,521 babies were born in April, up from 20,787 in the same month last year. This figure represents the highest number of births for April since 2019, when 26,104 babies were born.
From January to April, there were 99,534 births, which is a 15.5 percent increase from the previous year and also the highest level in seven years. Both April and the January-April periods have seen record increases in birth rates.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime) rose to 0.93 in April, an increase of 0.13 from last year.
Since July 2024, there has been a consistent rise in the number of newborns. Experts believe this increase is attributed to a rise in marriage rates and a more positive attitude towards having children.
However, the current rate still falls significantly short of the 2.1 children per woman needed to maintain population stability. In April, the marriage rate increased by 9 percent, with a total of 20,622 marriages, the highest since April 2016, which saw 22,844 marriages.
On the other hand, divorce cases also rose by 7.3 percent, reaching 7,829. The data indicates a 1.3 percent decline in the death rate, with 28,405 deaths recorded in April, resulting in a natural population decrease of 3,884.
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