S. Korea Records Rise in Births for Tenth Month

(MENAFN) South Korea recorded a rise in births for the tenth consecutive month in April, driven by an uptick in marriages, according to data released Wednesday by Statistics Korea.

The number of babies born in April climbed 8.7% year-over-year, reaching 20,717. This continued the positive trend that began in July last year, Statistics Korea reported.

Meanwhile, the country’s total fertility rate—which estimates how many children a woman will have in her lifetime—increased slightly by 0.06 to 0.79 during the same month. Despite the rise, the rate remains significantly below the population replacement threshold of 2.1 births per woman.

Marriage figures also improved, rising 4.9% from a year earlier to 18,921 in April. In contrast, divorces declined 5.2% to 7,299.

Despite these gains, officials and analysts continue to express concern over South Korea’s persistently low birth rate. Many in the younger generation are postponing or opting out of parenthood altogether, citing economic pressures like soaring housing costs and limited job opportunities.

The ongoing decline in births has intensified fears of a looming demographic cliff—a scenario where a sharp drop in household formation triggers a broader collapse in consumer demand.

Meanwhile, deaths edged up by 0.8%, totaling 28,785 in April compared to the same month in the previous year.

As a result of the elevated death toll and still-low birth figures, South Korea experienced a natural population decline of 8,068 in April.

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