South Korea’s birth rate rises for first time in almost a decade

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South Korea’s fertility rate has increased for the first time since 2015, offering a glimmer of hope amid the country’s deepening demographic crisis.

Preliminary data from Statistics Korea showed that the fertility rate – the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime – stood at 0.75 in 2024, up from a record low of 0.72 in 2023. This rise comes after years of sustained decline, which saw South Korea’s birth rate become the lowest in the world.

Officials attributed the increase to a surge in marriages, which jumped by 14.9 per cent in 2024, marking the largest rise since records began in 1970. "There was a change in social value, with more positive views about marriage and childbirth," said Park Hyun-jung, an official at Statistics Korea. Mr Park also noted that a growing number of people in their early thirties and delayed pandemic-era weddings had contributed to the trend.

Despite the slight increase, the fertility rate remains far below the replacement level of 2.1, raising concerns about long-term economic and social consequences. Since 2018, South Korea has been the only member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with a fertility rate below one.

The government has declared the demographic crisis a national emergency, with now-impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol pledging to establish a dedicated ministry to address low birth rates. Authorities have introduced a range of measures, including financial incentives and expanded childcare support, though these have failed to produce significant change.

The impact of the population decline is already being felt, particularly in education. The education ministry announced that 49 schools across the country will shut down in 2025 due to a lack of students, with rural areas disproportionately affected. This follows an upward trend in school closures, from 22 in 2023 to 33 in 2024.

Meanwhile, South Korea officially entered the category of a “super-aged” society in 2024, with people aged 65 and above now making up 20 per cent of the total population of 51.22 million. The government has acknowledged the urgency of the situation, with officials calling for fundamental policy shifts to tackle the crisis.

The nation’s changing demographics are also reflected in consumer trends. The sale of pet strollers has now overtaken that of baby prams for the first time, underscoring shifting priorities among South Koreans. Data from e-commerce platform Gmarket showed that in 2023, 57 per cent of all strollers sold were designed for pets, compared to just 43 per cent for babies – an inversion of figures from two years earlier.

While the fertility rate increase offers a rare moment of optimism, experts warn that sustained progress is needed to counteract South Korea’s declining population, which is projected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072.