Any country Total Fertility <0.5 before 2053
MetaculusMAR 9 2023
Statistics Korea said Wednesday that South Korea's fertility rate increased to 0.75 in 2024 from 0.72 in 2023, marking the first rise in nine years. About 238,300 babies were born last year, a 3.6% increase from the previous year.
The number of marriages surged by 14.9% to 222,422 couples in 2024, recording the highest level since 1996 and the steepest annual increase since data collection began in 1970.
The demographic shift was partly attributed to an increase in the population in their early 30s, with 70.4 out of 1K women aged 30-34 giving birth in 2024, while the average maternal age reached 33.7 years.
The rebound signals that government policies are beginning to have an effect and increasingly resonate with the South Korean public, as evidenced by more positive views about marriage and childbirth, with 52.5% of residents expressing positive attitudes toward marriage in 2024.
This increase may be temporary and insufficient to address the demographic crisis, as the number of women of childbearing age is projected to decline from 2027 in South Korea, and the effects of recent political crises and economic downturns could negatively impact future birth rates.