S. Korea's births rise 6.7 pct to 254,300 in 2025

South Korea's birth rate increased by 6.7 percent in 2025, reaching 254,300 babies born, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Information on August 26. This marks the highest number since 260,600 in 2021. The country's total fertility rate also rose slightly to 0.8, indicating a potential shift in the nation's long-term demographic decline.

The number of births grew by 16,000 compared to the previous year. While the overall fertility rate increased by 0.05 points to 0.8, the age-specific fertility rates varied among different age groups. Women aged 30-34 had the highest rate at 73.1 births per 1,000 women, whereas those aged 25-29 saw the lowest rate at 21.2 births per 1,000 women. The average age of women giving birth rose to 33.8 in 2025, up from 33.7 the previous year.

The average age at which women had their first child was 33.2, with second and third children born at ages 33.2 and 35.8, respectively. Mothers aged 35 and older accounted for 37.3 percent of all births, a 1.4 percentage point increase from the previous year. The rate was highest in South Jeolla Province at 1.09, followed by Sejong at 1.06, and North Chungcheong Province at 0.96. Busan recorded the lowest rate of 0.74, while Seoul had the lowest rate at 0.63.