The number of babies born in South Korea rose at the fastest pace in 18 years in the first 11 months of 2025, driven largely by an increase in marriages. Government data shows the total for 2025 is expected to surpass the 238,317 recorded in 2024. Government policies supporting childbirth and the growing population of women in their early 30s also contributed.
A total of 233,708 babies were born between January and November in 2025, up 6.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics. This marks the steepest on-year increase since 2007. The ministry said the total number of newborns in 2025 is expected to rise for a second consecutive year and surpass 238,317 babies recorded in 2024.
In November alone, 20,710 babies were born, up 3.1 percent from 20,083 a year earlier. The November figure was the highest for the month since 2019, when 23,727 babies were born, the ministry said, noting that births are gradually recovering to pre-pandemic levels. The number of newborns has been on an upward trend since July 2024.
The country's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, rose 0.02 from a year earlier to 0.79 in November. The ministry said the recent rise in births appears to have been influenced by a continued increase in marriages, government policies supporting childbirth and the growth in the population of women in their early 30s.
In South Korea, where childbirth outside of marriage remains rare, an increase in marriages tends to precede a rise in births. The number of marriages in November went up 2.7 percent on-year to 19,079, marking the 20th consecutive month of growth. The number of divorces, meanwhile, went down 9.8 percent on-year to 6,890 in the cited month, the data showed.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths went up 4.9 percent from a year earlier to 30,678, resulting in a natural population decline of 9,968.
