South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years, with marriages surging

Preliminary data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday showed that South Korea's fertility rate rose for the first time in nine years in 2024, driven by an increase in the number of marriages. This may indicate that the country's demographic crisis may have reached a turning point. This positive trend offers a glimmer of hope amidst ongoing concerns.

The data showed that South Korea's fertility rate in 2024, the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years, was 0.75. In 2023, South Korea's fertility rate fell for the eighth consecutive year to 0.72, the lowest in the world, far below 1.24 in 2015, raising concerns about the socio-economic impact of such a rapid decline. The continued drop in fertility rate poses significant challenges for the nation's future.

Since 2018, South Korea has been the only member country of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a fertility rate below 1. Faced with a grim demographic situation, the South Korean government has introduced a number of measures to encourage young people to marry and have children. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a "national demographic crisis" and planned to establish a new department dedicated to solving the low birth rate problem. These government initiatives aim to reverse the declining population trend.

Park Hyun-jung, an official at Statistics Korea, said at a briefing: "Social values have changed, and people have more positive views on marriage and childbirth." She also mentioned that the increase in the number of people in their early 30s and delays caused by the pandemic also had some impact. "It is difficult to measure the contribution of each factor to the increase in the number of newborns, but they also have a mutual influence on each other," Park Hyun-jung added. The interplay of these factors contributes to the complexity of the demographic shift.

Nam Hyun-jin, 35, gave birth to her second daughter last August. She said she has seen a shift in social attitudes, mainly thanks to expanded government policy support and more companies joining the ranks of encouraging childbirth. "Compared to when we had our first child five years ago, the whole society is more encouraging of childbirth," Nam Hyun-jin said. More importantly, "a corporate culture that encourages childbirth is providing tremendous help." Booyoung Group, where Nam Hyun-jin works, began offering employees a birth bonus of 100 million won (approximately $110,000) last year. Such supportive environments can make a significant difference in family planning decisions.

Marriage is a leading indicator of the number of newborns. In 2024, the number of marriages in South Korea surged 14.9%, the largest increase since the data began being published in 1970. In 2023, driven by the post-pandemic recovery, the number of marriages in South Korea increased for the first time in 11 years, with an increase of 1.0%. In South Korea, there is a high correlation between marriage and childbirth, usually with a one- to two-year time lag, as marriage is often seen as a prerequisite for childbirth. The recent increase in marriages could signal a further rise in birth rates in the coming years.

Last year, South Korea's capital Seoul had the lowest fertility rate at just 0.58. The latest data show that last year, the number of deaths in South Korea exceeded the number of newborns by 120,000, the fifth year in which South Korea's population has declined naturally. The administrative city of Sejong is the only major center with population growth. The latest projections from South Korean statistical agencies show that after peaking at 51.83 million in 2020, South Korea's population is expected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072. These figures highlight the urgency of addressing the demographic challenges.

Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said this month: "We need to ensure that we maintain this hard-won spark by quickly filling in the blind spots in low fertility policies, such as freelancers and self-employed individuals." However, for some young South Koreans, they do not feel this "spark." Policymakers are focusing on expanding support to reach a broader segment of the population.

Kim Ha-ram, a 21-year-old student, said: "I don't think childbirth is popular because it is both difficult and expensive to get married, have children, and start a family in South Korean society." South Korea's last baby boom occurred between 1991 and 1996. South Korea now aims to raise the fertility rate to 1 by 2030, but that number is still far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population. Addressing the financial and social burdens of raising a family is crucial to encouraging higher birth rates.

Professor Shin of Hallym University believes that South Korea's proportion of temporary workers is the second highest among OECD countries, at 27.3%, compared to an average of 11.3%, which is a demographic challenge. "There is a huge gap between large and small companies in South Korea, and between permanent and temporary employees, so the government needs to be more creative and establish a system that works for everyone," Shin said. Professor Chung Jae-hoon, a professor of social welfare at Seoul Women's University, agreed with Professor Shin's view that companies should contribute more to the government's efforts. "Through government investment, South Korea's childcare system has been established at the social level, but we still need companies to make changes and become more family-friendly, which makes this work half done," Chung said. A collaborative effort between government and businesses is essential for creating a supportive environment for families.