The number of births last year rose by the most in 15 years. It also increased for a second straight year, following the year before last. This is the first time in 13 years that births have increased for two consecutive years, since a three-year rise from 2010 to 2012.
◇ Total fertility rate at 0.8… one year ahead of the optimistic population scenario
The Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said on the 25th in its 2025 birth and death statistics that the number of births last year was 254,500, up 16,100 (6.8%) from a year earlier. The scale of the increase in births was the largest in 15 years. In terms of the growth rate (6.8%), it was the fourth largest since 1970, when the related statistics began.
Park Hyeon-jeong, head of population trends at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), said, "The increase in marriages delayed by COVID-19 and the continued growth since 2021 in the population in their early 30s, the main childbearing age, appear to have led to more births," adding, "Perceptions of 'childbirth after marriage' and 'non-marital childbirth' have also recently turned positive."
The total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, rose to 0.8. That is an increase of 0.05 from a year earlier (0.75), and it is the first rebound to the 0.8 range in four years since 2021.
Director Park said, "We have already surpassed the total fertility rate in the high, optimistic scenario of the future population projections last year (0.75 in 2025 and 0.8 in 2026)," adding, "At the time, we projected entry into a total fertility rate of 1 in 2031, and that timing may change (be moved up)."
◇ Mothers giving birth later… "Have a child within two years of marriage" becomes mainstream
Mothers are giving birth at older ages. The average age of mothers at childbirth last year was 33.8, up 0.2 from a year earlier. The average age of mothers at first birth was 33.2, also up 0.1 from the previous year.
The share of mothers aged 35 or older (37.3%) also hit an all-time high, up 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier. In particular, the number of babies born to mothers aged 45 or older (569) was the highest in 39 years since 1986 (580). In contrast, the number of babies born to mothers aged 24 or younger decreased.
This trend also affected birth patterns by length of marriage. The number of births within two years of marriage was 87,200 last year, up 8,100 (10.2%). This figure increased for the second straight year after rising for the first time in 12 years the year before last. Director Park said, "It seems to be due to the trend of later marriage," adding, "When people marry late, they end up giving birth at older ages, so a culture of having children quickly after marriage appears to have formed."
◇ Only Sejong recorded more births than deaths nationwide
Meanwhile, the number of deaths last year was 363,400, up 4,800 (1.3%) from the previous year. Deaths generally decreased among those in their 60s and younger, and increased among those 90 or older and those in their 70s. As a result, the population decreased naturally by 110,000. Sixteen provinces and metropolitan cities recorded natural decreases, except for Sejong. Only Sejong (a natural increase of 1,300) had more births than deaths.