Significant Increase in Birth Rates Observed in South Korea

In a notable development, South Korea's birth rates surged by 18% in April, marking the highest level in seven years. With a total of 24,521 births recorded, experts attribute this increase to a rise in marriages and a more positive outlook on childbirth. Despite this growth, the fertility rate remains below the necessary threshold for population stability. The data also reveals a rise in marriages and divorces during the same period, alongside a slight decline in deaths. This article delves into the implications of these statistics and the factors contributing to this demographic shift.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 24, 2026, 12:29 IST

Surge in Births in South Korea

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Seoul, June 24: Recent government statistics reveal that South Korea experienced an 18% increase in births in April compared to the same month last year, marking the highest number of births in seven years.

In total, 24,521 infants were born in April, a rise from 20,787 in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This figure is the highest recorded for any April since 2019, when 26,104 births were noted.

From January to April, the cumulative number of births reached 99,534, also the highest in seven years, reflecting a significant 15.5% increase from the same period last year.

Both April and the January-April periods saw record growth in birth rates.

The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman is expected to have throughout her life, increased by 0.13 to 0.93 in April, as reported by a local news agency.

Since July 2024, the trend of rising newborns has been evident.

Experts suggest that this growth can be attributed to a rise in marriages and a more favorable attitude towards childbirth.

However, the fertility rate remains significantly below the 2.1 births per woman required for a stable population without immigration.

In April, marriages increased by 9% year-on-year, totaling 20,622, the highest since April 2016, which saw 22,844 marriages.

Conversely, the number of divorces rose by 7.3% from the previous year, reaching 7,829.

Additionally, the data indicated a 1.3% decline in deaths from the previous year, totaling 28,405, leading to a natural population decrease of 3,884.