The number of babies born from January to October this year was 212,998, up 6.5% from last year, the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said on the 24th. The growth rate was the third highest on record after 2007 (10.1%) and 1991 (7.1%).
On this day, the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) released the "October population trends." The number of monthly births through October this year was always higher than last year. The total fertility rate (the number of children a woman is expected to have) was 0.81 in October, up 0.02 from a year earlier.
The total fertility rate hit a record low of 0.72 in 2023 before rising to 0.75 in 2024. When the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) began publishing monthly total fertility rates in January this year, it rose to 0.88. It then fell into the 0.7 range before reaching 0.85 in September.
Regarding this year's increase in births, an official at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said, "After COVID-19, the number of marriages increased, leading to more births." The official also said, "The population in the early 30s, when many people marry, increased, and among younger people, the perception that one should marry has also spread."
The number of marriages from January to October was 195,764, up 8% from a year earlier. Although the growth rate slowed from last year (13.8%), it remains high. During the same period, the number of divorces was 73,427, down 3.3% from last year. The decline widened from last year (-1.6%).