The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on the 14th that 48,981 babies were born last year through the government's assisted reproduction procedure subsidy program.
That is 19.2% of all births (254,457). About 1 in 5 newborns were born through the government's infertility support program.
Babies born with infertility support increased by 11,705 (31.4%) from 37,276 in 2024. The share out of all births also rose from 15.6% to 19.2% over the same period. Compared with 2022, both the number and the share of babies born with infertility support more than doubled.
The government and local governments have expanded related support as demand for infertility assistance has grown with rising ages for marriage and childbirth. Starting in 2024, they scrapped income and age limits for infertility procedure support, and increased the number of covered attempts from "25 per couple" to "25 per birth."
Among babies born through infertility procedures, multiples numbered 12,749, accounting for 26.0% of the total. The number of multiples itself increased, but the rate edged down from 26.5% in 2024. Of 42,520 infertility-supported births, 4,603 were registered as preterm, or 10.8%.
The population experiencing infertility is also on the rise. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number diagnosed with infertility increased 29.2%, from 225,978 in 2020 to 291,875 in 2024. The average age at childbirth rose from 32.0 in 2014 to 33.7 in 2024, and during this period the share of mothers age 35 or older climbed from 21.6% to 35.9%.
The ministry expects the number of babies born through infertility procedures to continue increasing for the time being. The average success rate for in vitro fertilization in Korea is about 37%, but it declines after age 35 for women and drops sharply after 40. The government said higher-age infertility procedures can increase the risk of high-risk pregnancies such as multiple gestations or preterm birth.
Beyond infertility procedure support, the government is also pushing to expand preconception health management programs and infertility and maternity counseling centers. Applicants for the preconception health management program surged from 78,000 in 2024 to 291,000 last year. The average age at screening also fell, from 32.9 to 32.3 for women and from 34.5 to 34.1 for men.