SEOUL (Bernama-Yonhap) – The number of babies born in South Korea surged at the fastest rate in 14 years in November 2024, driven by a rise in post-pandemic marriages and shifting attitudes toward marriage and parenthood.
According to Statistics Korea, 20,095 babies were born in November 2024, marking a 14.6 per cent increase from 17,530 births in the same period a year earlier, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.
This was the largest year-on-year rise since November 2010, when births grew by 17.5 per cent.
The number of marriages also increased, with 18,581 couples tying the knot in November, an 11.3 per cent jump from the previous year.
For the January-November period, 199,903 couples married, reflecting a 13.5 per cent annual increase.
South Korea has long struggled with a declining birth rate, as many young people delay or forgo marriage and parenthood.
In response, the government has introduced various policies to encourage marriage and support child-rearing, including benefits for newlyweds and expanded childcare assistance.
“After the pandemic, we have seen an increase in marriages and the birth of first and second children. There have also been gradual shifts in the perception of marriage and childbirth due to government policies,” said Im Young Il, an official from Statistics Korea.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in November dropped 3.8 per cent year-on-year to 29,219. However, South Korea still recorded a natural population decline of 9,124, as deaths continued to outpace births, a trend that has persisted since the fourth quarter of 2019.
