South Korea Birthrate Rises for First Time in 9 Years, Marriages Surge
South Korea's fertility rate rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, supported by an increase in marriages, in a sign that the country's demographic crisis might have turned a corner. The country's fertility rate, the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life, stood at 0.75 in 2024, according to Statistics Korea. Marriages jumped 14.9% in 2024, the biggest spike since the data started being released in 1970.
- The sudden shift from low birth rates to increased marriages may indicate a broader cultural shift towards valuing family and children, potentially reversing the trend of urbanization and aging populations seen in many Asian countries.
- As South Korea's population continues to shrink, will the government's efforts to encourage marriage and childbirth be enough to prevent a significant decline in the workforce and pension system in the coming decades?