South Korea Sees First Increase in Childbirths in Nine Years in 2024
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Seoul, Jan 3 (NationPress) The total number of newborns in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years last year, as indicated by government data released on Friday, representing a significant change for a country dealing with one of the world's lowest fertility rates.
Last year, 242,334 infants were born, reflecting a growth of 3.1 percent compared to the previous year, based on resident registration statistics from the interior ministry, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
This marks the first annual increase in South Korea after a continuous decline over the past eight years.
The overall number of registered residents reached 51,217,221 last year, continuing a five-year decline since 2020.
In October, the birth rate surged at its most rapid pace in 14 years, with 21,398 babies born, an increase of 13.4 percent from the 18,878 births recorded a year prior, as reported by Yonhap.
This represented the largest year-on-year increase since November 2010, when childbirths rose by 17.5 percent.
South Korea has been facing a relentless drop in its birth rate, largely because more young individuals are opting to postpone or forgo marriage and parenthood.
In an effort to promote marriage and enhance the fertility rate, the government has introduced various incentives for marriage and child care support.
In contrast, the number of deaths fell by 3.2 percent year-on-year to 29,819 in October. Consequently, South Korea recorded a natural population decrease of 8,421 during that month.
Additionally, South Korea has officially transitioned into a super-aged society.
According to government statistics, the population aged 65 and older in South Korea reached 10.24 million, making up 20 percent of the nation’s total population of 51.22 million, as reported by Yonhap.
The United Nations categorizes countries with over 7 percent of their population aged 65 or older as aging societies, those with more than 14 percent as aged societies, and those exceeding 20 percent as super-aged societies.
