The number of newborns, which had been declining for eight consecutive years, has successfully rebounded.
According to the '2024 Population Trends Survey Birth and Death Statistics' released by the Statistics Korea on the 26th, the number of newborns last year was 238,300, an increase of 8,300 from the previous year. The 'total fertility rate,' which refers to the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, was 0.75, up 0.03 from the previous year. The 'crude birth rate,' which means the number of newborns per 1,000 people, was 4.7, up 0.2 from the previous year.
By age group, the fertility rate increased among women in their 30s. The rates for women in their 20s and early 40s decreased. The fertility rate for women in their early 30s was the highest at 70.4, followed by 46.0 for women in their late 30s and 20.7 for women in their late 20s.
Comparing the age-specific fertility rates to the previous year, the fertility rate for women in their early 30s increased by 3.7, while that for women in their late 30s increased by 3.0. However, the rates for women in their late 20s (-0.7) and early 40s (-0.2) decreased.
The average age of mothers at childbirth was 33.7, up 0.1 from the previous year. However, the proportion of older mothers (aged 35 and over) was 35.9%, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the previous year. The average age of mothers for their first child is 33.1, for their second child is 34.4, and for their third child is 35.5.
In terms of birth order, the number of first-borns increased by 7,700 from the previous year, while the number of second-borns increased by 1,500. The proportion of first-borns was 61.3%, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous year. The proportion of second-borns was 31.9%, and the proportion of third-borns and above was 6.8%, both decreasing by 0.4 percentage points and 0.7 percentage points, respectively.
Analyzing births by the duration of marriage, the proportion of births within two years of marriage was 35%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the previous year. In birth statistics, the timing of marriage is based on the period from the start of actual marital life to childbirth, regardless of legal marriage (marriage registration).
Looking at births by month, January (215,000) and October (214,000) had the highest number of newborns. In terms of the growth rate of newborns compared to the same month last year, November (14.3%) and October (13.4%) saw significant increases. It is interpreted that the new year's childbirth encouragement policy has led to an increase in families planning and preparing for childbirth at the beginning of the year.
By region, the total fertility rate was highest in Sejong and Jeonnam at 1.03. They were followed by Gyeongbuk (0.90) and Gangwon (0.89). Among local governments with a fertility rate lower than the national average of 0.75, Gwangju (0.70), Busan (0.68), and Seoul (0.58) are notable.
Last year, the number of deaths was 358,400, an increase of 5,800 (1.7%) from the previous year. The natural increase, calculated by subtracting deaths from births, recorded -120,000. The domestic population has experienced natural decline for five consecutive years since the first natural decrease in 2020.