South Korea is witnessing a notable rebound in both birth rates and marriages, according to the latest government statistics. In June 2025, the country recorded the largest year-over-year increase in newborns since population statistics began, while marriages grew at their fastest pace in 15 years.
The Statistics Korea report released on August 27 shows that 19,953 babies were born in June 2025, up 1,709 from June 2024- a 9.4% increase. This marks the highest monthly increase since June 2010 and the largest growth rate since records began in 1981. With this, the country has seen 12 consecutive months of year-over-year growth in births, starting in July of 2024.
The rise is especially pronounced among women in their 30s. Birth rates increased across nearly all age groups except women in their early 20s, with the most significant gains among those in their early and late 30s. The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, also ticked up to 0.76, an increase of 0.06 from June last year.
Looking at the second quarter, births from April to June reached 60,979, up 4,157 from the same period last year, marking the largest quarterly increase since 2011. The increase rate is the highest since related statistics were first recorded. Park Hyun Jung, head of population trends at Statistics Korea, attributed the surge to a combination of rising marriages, a larger population of women in their 30s, and a more positive perception of childbirth.
Marriages also rose sharply in June. A total of 18,487 couples tied the knot, up 1,539 from June last year, a 9.1% increase. This is the highest number of marriages in seven years and the largest growth rate since 2010. Marriage numbers have now increased for 15 consecutive months YoY.
For the second quarter, 59,169 marriages were registered, up 5.8% from last year, marking six straight quarters of growth. Cumulative marriages in the first half of the year totaled 117,873, the highest since 2019. Analysts say the increase is driven by more couples in their early 30s and local government initiatives encouraging marriage. For example, the city of Daejeon currently offers couples 5 million KRW (approx. 3,589 USD) in cash support upon marriage, along with other financial benefits.
Despite these gains, natural population decline continues. June saw 27,270 deaths, up 1.5% from the previous year, resulting in a natural population decrease of 7,317.
One notable trend is the rise in children born outside of marriage. The latest confirmed statistics show that 5.8% of births occurred outside wedlock, the highest on record. Social surveys also indicate an increasing acceptance of having children outside of marriage. Meanwhile, the age distribution of fathers shows that men in their early 20s now contribute the fewest births on record, while fathers aged 50 and above have reached a historic high.
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