South Korea’s birthrate rose for a second consecutive year in 2025, government data revealed on Wednesday, signaling tentative relief for a nation long grappling with the world’s lowest fertility levels. The total fertility rate reached 0.80, up from 0.75 in 2024.
The Ministry of Data and Statistics reported 5.0 new births per 1,000 people in 2025, rising from 4.7 in 2024. The total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have, has slowly rebounded following eight years of decline.
South Korea had recorded the world’s lowest birthrate at 0.72 in 2023, with a population naturally shrinking for the sixth consecutive year due to rising deaths outpacing births.
The sharpest growth was seen in the capital, Seoul, where the fertility rate climbed 8.9% to 0.63, though it remains the lowest among the country’s regions.
Factors behind the rebound
Marriages increased by 8.1% in 2025, building on the largest jump in 2024 of 14.8%, and remain a key predictor of new births with a one-to-two-year lag.
Park Hyun-jung, a Ministry official, noted that more people in their 30s—prime childbearing years—and changing social attitudes contributed to the rise.
Sociologist Shin Kyung-ah of Hallym University cautioned that statistical effects, such as population composition, partly influenced the numbers but said the trend reflects a positive shift in societal attitudes toward family formation.
In a 2024 government survey, 52.5% of respondents expressed favorable views on marriage, up from 50.1% in 2022, and the average desired number of children stood at 1.89.
Govt response and policy plans
President Lee Jae Myung’s administration plans a five-year policy roadmap to address demographic changes and potential economic shocks from a rapidly ageing population.
The government aims to expand childbirth support policies and attract skilled foreign workers to offset a shrinking workforce.
South Korea’s potential economic growth rate has declined sharply over the past three decades, currently around 2% annually and projected to fall to 0.6% by 2045-2049. Public finances are also under strain due to growing social welfare obligations, including the nation’s $1 trillion public pension fund projected to run out by 2071.
President Lee has emphasized regional collaboration on ageing populations, proposing the first population policy forum under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) this year. He also signed agreements with China and Japan to jointly address demographic challenges.
