South Korea's birth rate rises for 1st time in decade
What's the story
South Korea saw its birth rate increase in 2024, the first such rise in a decade.
The crude birth rate stood at 4.7 per 1,000 people, ending a decade-long decline that started in 2014.
The fertility rate also increased to 0.75 from 0.72 in 2023, according to Statistics Korea.
The uptick is attributed to a spike in marriages and demographic changes among those in their early 30s.
Demographic shift
Increase in births and marriages contribute to rise of rate
The total number of births in 2024 stood at 238,300, which is 8,300 or 3.6% higher than the last year.
Park Hyun-jeong of Statistics Korea attributed the increase to "a change in social value, with more positive views about marriage and childbirth."
The country also witnessed a major spike in marriages by 14.9% last year, the largest increase since records began in 1970.
Global comparison
South Korea's fertility rate remains lowest among OECD countries
Despite the recent spike, South Korea's fertility rate remains the lowest among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries since it fell below one in 2018.
The average maternal age at childbirth stood at 33.7 years, among the highest in the world.
The capital city Seoul also recorded the lowest birth rate at a mere 0.58.
Policy measures
Government initiatives to combat demographic crisis
To combat its demographic crisis, the South Korean government has poured billions of dollars into programs to promote childbirth and marriage.
These programs include cash subsidies, babysitting services, and infertility treatment support.
The now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a "national demographic crisis" and planned to create a new ministry to tackle low birth rates.
However, despite these efforts, high child-rearing costs and competitive job markets remain challenges.
Population decline
South Korea's population continues to shrink
South Korea's population has been naturally declining for the past five years, with 120,000 more deaths than births last year.
Projections indicate that the country's population may decline from its peak of 51.83 million in 2020 to about 36.22 million by 2072.
Attaining a fertility rate of 2.1 continues to be essential to sustain its current population of about 51 million people in the face of this.