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Korea's population decline slows to lowest level in four years

Published: 26 Mar. 2026, 11:03 Updated: 26 Mar. 2026, 17:55

Nurses take care of newborns at the CHA Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 28. [NEWS1]

Korea’s population decline slowed to its lowest level in four years as births rose in January, raising the possibility of a turning point in the country’s prolonged demographic downturn.

The population fell by 5,539 in January, with 32,454 deaths outnumbering 26,916 births, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The decline marked the smallest since January 2022, when the population decreased by 5,205.

The drop also narrowed sharply from a year earlier, when the population shrank by 15,306 in January 2025.

The improvement came as births increased. The number of births rose by 2,817, or 11.7 percent, from a year earlier to 26,916 in January, the highest figure for the month since 2019, when births reached 30,271.

Births have risen for 19 months straight since July 2024.

Demographers attribute the increase to the “echo boom” generation — children of second-generation baby boomers — entering their 30s and driving a rise in the number of marriages and births. Some analysts say the country’s natural population decline, which has continued for 75 months since November 2019, could come to an end and shift into growth.

The National Assembly Budget Office said in its recent population outlook for 2025 to 2045 that marriages postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic have begun to take place, contributing to a rebound in births this year. According to the report, the trend could continue through 2030.

Still, analysts caution against reading too much into the rebound. Even with an increase, the total fertility rate is expected to remain around 0.92, far below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain the population. That suggests that a short-term recovery may not reverse the broader trend of low birthrates and rapid aging.

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 PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]