Out-of-wedlock births skyrocket as social attitudes change, young couples game the system
Published: 11 Sep. 2025, 16:56
Updated: 11 Sep. 2025, 17:00
![The photo shows the neonatal unit at CHA Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Aug. 27. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/11/8ac8649f-7578-4534-af77-b6e459a8125d.jpg)
The photo shows the neonatal unit at CHA Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi on Aug. 27. [NEWS1]
The percentage of children born outside of marriage jumped to 5.8 percent in 2024, nearly double the rate of 2020, as changing social attitudes led to more extramarital births and housing-related incentives encouraged couples to delay official marriages.
Statistics Korea said on Wednesday that 5.8 percent of babies born in 2024 were registered to parents who were not legally married, representing a 1.1 percentage point increase from the previous year and the highest rate on record.
The figure had remained in the 2-percent range for a decade, reaching 2.1 percent in 2010 and 2.5 percent in 2020. It climbed to the 3-percent range in 2021 and nearly doubled in just three years.
Surveys show that perceptions of out-of-wedlock births have steadily improved. According to a Statistics Korea social survey, 2.7 percent of respondents in 2010 stated that they “fully agreed” with the assertion that people may have children without getting married. The figure rose gradually, reaching 7.2 percent in 2020, 8.3 percent in 2022 and 9.2 percent in 2024.
Experts, however, argue that shifting perceptions alone cannot explain the sharp rise since 2021, pointing instead to the housing market and government policies.
“Special housing supply programs for single parents introduced in 2021 and the newborn loan program in 2023, which extended benefits to common-law couples and unmarried mothers, played the largest role in the increase,” said Chae Sang-wook, CEO of the real estate consultancy Connected Ground. “Couples used these policies to secure housing during the overheated property market.”
![Apartments are seen from Namsan in central Seoul on Sept. 8. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/11/440d74ef-4796-40c7-907b-07f7b62e191c.jpg)
Apartments are seen from Namsan in central Seoul on Sept. 8. [NEWS1]
Housing prices soared by 15 percent in 2021, the highest annual increase since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and coincided with a jump in out-of-wedlock births.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed abuse of the single-parent housing program, finding 18 cases in the first half of 2024 in which couples in common-law relationships received allocations improperly. Authorities canceled those contracts.
"The rise in out-of-wedlock births reflected both shifting attitudes among young couples and deliberate choices to take advantage of housing policies," a Statistics Korea official said.
One key factor is the so-called “marriage penalty” in the real estate market. Government programs often impose income caps, meaning dual-income households more easily exceed thresholds compared to single-income families.
In response, the government eased restrictions on the newborn loan. It was initially limited to couples with combined annual incomes of 130 million won ($93,600), but the cap rose to 200 million won on Dec. 2, 2024, and will increase to 250 million won in 2025.
Still, new mortgage rules have created additional disincentives. A recent policy capped housing loans at 600 million won per person, regardless of income.
![Engaged couples look at displayed dresses at a wedding fair at Coex in southern Seoul on July 6. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/11/e75eb04e-82c7-4855-a631-5e167978ee6a.jpg)
Engaged couples look at displayed dresses at a wedding fair at Coex in southern Seoul on July 6. [NEWS1]
Since the borrowing limit does not rise even if couples combine their income, many young dual-income couples believe it is better to delay marriage if one partner earns more than 100 million won, a high-income level in Korea. If a couple delays marriage and each becomes the head of their own household, one person could borrow up to 600 million won, and the other could also borrow up to 600 million won, allowing them to take out separate loans and potentially buy two homes.
Couples also often avoid registering their marriage if one partner already owns property, to maintain eligibility for first-time homebuyer programs.
“With apartment prices soaring, young people have little choice but to think about ways to maximize leverage through loans,” Chae said. “This is less about flaws in the system and more a strange by-product of rapidly rising housing prices.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM YEON-JOO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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