In January of this year, the nationwide birth rate increase was the highest recorded for the month in history. As the number of marriages has been increasing in recent years, there are expectations that last year’s rebound in the birth rate will continue its upward trend this year.
According to the '2025 January Population Trends' released by the Statistics Korea on the 26th, the number of births in January this year was 23,947, marking an 11.6% increase compared to the same month last year. This is the first increase in the number of births in January since 2015, and it simultaneously recorded the highest increase rate in history for that month.
The years in which the birth rate increase was positive in January include 1982 (5.7%), 1988 (3.6%), 1991 (7.9%), 1992 (0.9%), 1994 (0.6%), 1996 (0.6%), 2000 (5.2%), 2004 (0.8%), 2007 (7.4%), 2008 (7.0%), 2011 (10.8%), and 2015 (1.7%).
The number of births has maintained an increasing trend for seven consecutive months since July of last year. This is the first time in 10 years and 5 months since April to October 2014. In January of this year, the number of births increased compared to the previous year in 14 cities and provinces, including Seoul and Busan, while it decreased in three areas, including Daejeon and North Gyeongsang Province.
The Statistics Korea analyzes that the rise in the number of births was due to marriages that had been postponed because of COVID-19 occurring after the end of the crisis. The number of marriages has shown an upward trend, increasing from 191,690 in 2022 to 193,657 in 2023, and reaching 222,412 last year. In January of this year, there were 20,153 marriages, a 0.7% increase compared to the same month last year.
A Statistics Korea official noted, "As marriages are increasing, the rising population of women in their early 30s, the main childbearing age group, is also having an impact,” adding, “According to Statistics Korea social surveys, the perception of childbirth has positively changed, which is also influencing the situation."
The official continued, "It remains to be seen whether this year’s birth rate will continue to rise, but since marriages increased last year, there is a positive outlook."
On the other hand, the number of deaths in January was 39,473, which is a 21.9% increase compared to the same month last year. The data showed that the number of deaths increased in all cities and provinces. The number of deaths surpassed the number of births, resulting in a natural decrease of 15,526 (number of births - number of deaths).