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Childbirths rise at fastest rate in 7 years in January with marriage increase

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 15:09

Newborn babies are seen at the CHA Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on July 24, 2025. [YONHAP]

The number of births rose at the fastest pace in seven years in January, driven largely by an increase in marriages, government data showed Wednesday.

A total of 26,916 babies were born in January, up 11.7 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The January figure was the highest for the month since 2019, when 30,271 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 0.1 from a year earlier to 0.99 in January.

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.

With childbirths outside of marriage rare, an increase in marriages tends to precede a rise in births.

The number of marriages in January jumped 12.4 percent on year to 22,640, marking the 22nd consecutive month of growth.

The figure is the highest for the month of January since 2018, when 24,370 marriages were recorded.

The number of divorces also went up 4.2 percent on year to 7,280 in the cited month, the data showed.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths went down 17.6 percent from a year earlier to 32,454, resulting in a natural population decline of 5,539.

Yonhap