Births up 13% in August to highest in 7 years

Korea experienced a 13% surge in births during August, reaching the highest monthly total in seven years, according to government data released on Wednesday. A total of 23,703 babies were born in the month, up from 20,983 in August 2022, as reported by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This marked the 26th consecutive month of increasing births, with August 2023 now registering the highest figure since 2019, when 24,371 babies were born.

The country's total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman is projected to have throughout her lifetime, rose by 0.09 points to 0.87 in August, compared with the previous year. While this figure remains below the critical threshold of 2.1 births per woman necessary to sustain a stable population without immigration, it signifies a positive trend.

The upward trajectory in births has persisted since July 2024, with 193,783 babies born between January and August of the current year, marking a 14.5% increase compared to the same period in 2022. This represents the highest total for the January-August period since 2019.

Several factors are contributing to this recent rebound in birth rates. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of marriages in Korea, with a slight decline of 1.2% from August 2022 to 19,210 marriages in August 2023. Additionally, a growing population in their 30s and a more positive societal attitude towards having children are also playing a role in the surge in births.