Seoul, Nov 27 (NationPress) The number of newborns in South Korea saw a remarkable increase in September, marking the largest rise in nearly 14 years, according to data released on Wednesday. This surge comes as the nation continues to grapple with the serious issues of an ultra-low birth rate and rapid population aging.
As per the statistics gathered by Statistics Korea, a total of 20,590 infants were born in September, representing a 10.1 percent increase, or 1,884 more births, compared to the same month last year, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
This increase is the highest recorded since January 2011, when childbirths rose by 10.8 percent.
'This boost is primarily due to an increase in weddings among couples, who postponed their marriages during the earlier phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly from the second half of 2022 through the first half of 2023,' stated Im Young-il, an official from the agency, during a press briefing.
In the third quarter of this year, a total of 61,288 babies were born, reflecting an 8 percent rise from the same timeframe last year, marking the largest quarterly growth since the third quarter of 2012.
The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of expected births per woman throughout her lifetime, stood at 0.76 during the third quarter. The rate for the period from January to September was 0.74.
This nine-month figure surpasses the 0.72 recorded for the entirety of 2023, which represented the lowest fertility level since 1970.
'There is a considerable likelihood that the total fertility rate for all of 2024 may exceed 0.72 and potentially reach around 0.74 if the present trend persists into the fourth quarter,' added Young-il.
'However, it remains premature to declare this as a recovery, given that the figures are still significantly low compared to other nations.'
The current fertility figure falls drastically below the 2.1 births per woman, which is essential for sustaining a stable population without immigration.
South Korea continues to face challenges with a declining birth rate, as more young individuals opt to postpone or forgo marriage and parenthood.
In an effort to promote marriage and enhance the fertility rate, the government has introduced various marriage incentives and childcare support initiatives.
In contrast, the number of deaths increased by 3.8 percent year-on-year, totaling 29,362 in September.
As a result, South Korea experienced a natural population decline of 8,772 for the month.
Since the fourth quarter of 2019, the number of deaths has consistently surpassed the number of births.
The report also highlighted that the number of couples tying the knot rose significantly by 18.8 percent year-on-year to 15,368 in September, marking the most substantial annual increase in history.
Conversely, the number of divorces saw a slight uptick of 0.4 percent year-on-year, amounting to 7,531.
