The number of babies born in February was 22,989, the most for February in seven years since 2019, the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said on the 25th. Births have increased for 20 consecutive months since July 2024.
According to population trends released that day by the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), February births totaled 22,898, up 13.6% (2,747) from February last year (20,151).
An official at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said, "People who postponed marriage during COVID have been actively marrying over the past three to four years, and births are steadily increasing due to the rise in the number of people in their 30s who have entered childbearing age."
The total fertility rate in January (the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime) was 0.93, up 0.10 from a year earlier. The rise was pronounced among people in their 30s. Those in their early 30s (30–34) were 86.1, up 9.1 from the same month last year, and those in their late 30s (35–39) were 61.5, up 9.2. Those in their late 20s (25–29) were 23.9, up 1.6, and those 40 and older recorded 5.1, up 0.7.
The number of deaths fell. Deaths in February totaled 29,172, down 3.5% (1,069) from the same month a year earlier (30,241).
The number of marriages in February was 18,557, down 4.2% (811) from the same month last year (19,368). It was the first decline in 23 months. The Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) explained, "Because of the Lunar New Year holiday in February, there were fewer days to file marriage registrations." Births and deaths are tallied by the date of occurrence, but marriages are based on the date of registration. The number of divorces in February also fell 15.6% (1,167) to 6,197.