올 상반기 출생아 증가율 ‘역대 최대’…40대 출산도 늘어

In the first half of this year, the number of births to babies born in 2025 surpassed the previous record, with a 15.4% increase compared to the same period last year. This rise in births can be attributed to the growth in the 30-year-old female population and an increase in births among the 40-year-old demographic. According to the National Statistical Office's data released on June 26, the total number of babies born from January to June this year was 14,580,404, a significant jump of 19,430 (15.4%) from the previous year.

The growth in both the number and rate of births is the highest since 1981. Notably, June's birth rate also saw a 15.6% increase compared to June of the previous year, marking the highest rate since statistics were first recorded. This upward trend in births has been continuing for 24 months since July last year. The 0.88 annual average birth rate, which is the average number of babies a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, increased by 0.11 to 0.88 due to the simultaneous growth in the number of women in their early 30s (30-34 years old) and a rise in their birth rate.

The birth rate for women aged 30-34 increased by 1.1% to 81.6, while those aged 35-39 and 40 years or older saw a 9.1 and 0.3 increase respectively. For those aged 35-39, this is the highest number since 1981, and for those aged 40 or older, this is the highest since 1988. Meanwhile, the birth rate for those aged 20-24 has been decreasing since 2007 but increased for the first time in 18 years, signaling a shift in attitudes towards marriage and childbirth.

If this trend continues through the second half of the year, the annual total birth rate could reach 0.9 by 2024-2025, higher than the 0.92 recorded after 2019.