Latest news with #ParkHyun-jung
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Has baby bust bottomed out? S. Korea sees 7% rebound in births in Q1
For the first time in years, South Korea is seeing signs of a turnaround in its record-low birth rate. According to new data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of babies born in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year. That makes it the highest first-quarter increase recorded since the agency began tracking the figure in 1981. From January to March, 65,022 babies were born, up from 60,571 a year earlier. March alone saw 21,041 births, a 6.8 percent increase year-on-year, reversing a decadelong trend of decline for that month. The current rebound marks nine consecutive months of rising birth numbers, beginning in July 2024. The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also saw a modest rise. It reached 0.82 in the first quarter of 2025, up from 0.77 the year before. Though still far below the population replacement level of 2.1, it is the highest quarterly figure recorded since early 2022. Statistics Korea clarified that although the rate matched the 0.82 seen in the first quarter of 2023, this year's figure was slightly higher when calculated to the third decimal point. The uptick in births appears closely tied to a rise in marriages. In the first quarter, 58,704 couples tied the knot, up 8.4 percent from the same period last year. March alone saw 19,181 marriages, the highest for that month since 2020. Park Hyun-jung, director of population trends at Statistics Korea, explained that about 95 percent of births in South Korea happen within marriage. 'An increase in marriages, combined with a larger population of women in their 30s and a more positive perception of having children, all appear to be contributing to the recent rebound,' she said. Still, South Korea continues to have the lowest fertility rate in the world. In 2023, it dropped to just 0.721, prompting concern and coverage across global media including BBC and CNN. In a televised documentary aired that year by Korea's public educational broadcaster EBS, American legal scholar Joan C. Williams, a professor emerita at the University of California, called the numbers 'unheard of,' adding, 'South Korea is totally doomed.'
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Has baby bust bottomed out? South Korea sees 7% rebound in births in first quarter of 2025
From January to March, 65,022 babies were born in South Korea, up from 60,571 a year earlier. PHOTO: REUTERS Has baby bust bottomed out? South Korea sees 7% rebound in births in first quarter of 2025 SEOUL - For the first time in years, South Korea is seeing signs of a turnaround in its record-low birth rate. According to new data released by Statistics Korea on May 28 , the number of babies born in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 7.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2024 . That makes it the highest first-quarter increase recorded since the agency began tracking the figure in 1981. From January to March, 65,022 babies were born, up from 60,571 a year earlier. March alone saw 21,041 births, a 6.8 per cent increase year-on-year, reversing a decade-long trend of decline for that month. The current rebound marks nine consecutive months of rising birth numbers, beginning in July 2024. The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also saw a modest rise. It reached 0.82 in the first quarter of 2025, up from 0.77 the year before. Though still far below the population replacement level of 2.1, it is the highest quarterly figure recorded since early 2022. Statistics Korea clarified that although the rate matched the 0.82 seen in the first quarter of 2023, this year's figure was slightly higher when calculated to the third decimal point. The uptick in births appears closely tied to a rise in marriages. In the first quarter, 58,704 couples tied the knot, up 8.4 per cent from the same period last year. March alone saw 19,181 marriages, the highest for that month since 2020. Ms Park Hyun-jung, director of population trends at Statistics Korea, explained that about 95 per cent of births in South Korea happen within marriage. 'An increase in marriages, combined with a larger population of women in their 30s and a more positive perception of having children, all appear to be contributing to the recent rebound,' she said. Still, South Korea continues to have the lowest fertility rate in the world. In 2023, it dropped to just 0.721, prompting concern and coverage across global media including BBC and CNN. In a televised documentary aired that year by Korea's public educational broadcaster EBS, American legal scholar Joan C. Williams, a professor emerita at the University of California, called the numbers 'unheard of,' adding, 'South Korea is totally doomed.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Has South Korea's birth rate bottomed out? Q1 sees major rebound in births
For the first time in years, South Korea is seeing signs of a turnaround in its record-low birth rate. According to new data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of babies born in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year. That makes it the highest first-quarter increase recorded since the agency began tracking the figure in 1981. From January to March, 65,022 babies were born, up from 60,571 a year earlier. March alone saw 21,041 births, a 6.8 percent increase year-on-year, reversing a decadelong trend of decline for that month. The current rebound marks nine consecutive months of rising birth numbers, beginning in July 2024. The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also saw a modest rise. It reached 0.82 in the first quarter of 2025, up from 0.77 the year before. Though still far below the population replacement level of 2.1, it is the highest quarterly figure recorded since early 2022. Statistics Korea clarified that although the rate matched the 0.82 seen in the first quarter of 2023, this year's figure was slightly higher when calculated to the third decimal point. The uptick in births appears closely tied to a rise in marriages. In the first quarter, 58,704 couples tied the knot, up 8.4 percent from the same period last year. March alone saw 19,181 marriages, the highest for that month since 2020. Park Hyun-jung, director of population trends at Statistics Korea, explained that about 95 percent of births in South Korea happen within marriage. 'An increase in marriages, combined with a larger population of women in their 30s and a more positive perception of having children, all appear to be contributing to the recent rebound,' she said. Still, South Korea continues to have the lowest fertility rate in the world. In 2023, it dropped to just 0.721, prompting concern and coverage across global media including BBC and CNN. In a televised documentary aired that year by Korea's public educational broadcaster EBS, American legal scholar Joan C. Williams, a professor emerita at the University of California, called the numbers 'unheard of,' adding, 'South Korea is totally doomed.' mjh@
CBC
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
South Korea's fertility rate rises for the first time in 9 years
South Korea's fertility rate rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, supported by an increase in marriages, preliminary data showed on Wednesday, in a sign that the country's demographic crisis might have turned a corner. The country's fertility rate, the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life, stood at 0.75 in 2024, according to Statistics Korea. In 2023, the birthrate fell for the eighth consecutive year to 0.72, the lowest in the world, from 1.24 in 2015, raising concerns over the economic shock to society from such a rapid pace. Since 2018, South Korea has been the only member of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) with a rate below 1. South Korea has rolled out various measures to encourage young people to get married and have children, after now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a "national demographic crisis" and a plan to create a new ministry devoted to tackling low birth rates. "There was a change in social value, with more positive views about marriage and childbirth," Park Hyun-jung, an official at Statistics Korea, told a briefing, also citing the impact of a rise in the number of people in their early 30s and pandemic delays. "It is difficult to measure how much each factor contributed to the rise in new births, but they themselves had an impact on each other too," Park said. Marriages, a leading indicator of new births, jumped 14.9% in 2024, the biggest spike since the data started being released in 1970. Marriages turned up for the first time in 11 years in 2023 with a 1.0% increase powered by a post-pandemic boost. WATCH | South Korea moves away from its traditional age-counting system: How South Koreans are aging backward | About That 2 years ago Duration 6:44 In the Asian country, there is a high correlation between marriages and births, with a time lag of one or two years, as marriage is often seen as a prerequisite to having children. Across the country, the birthrate last year was the lowest in the capital, Seoul, at 0.58. The latest data showed there were 120,000 more people who died last year than those who were newly born, marking the fifth consecutive year of the population naturally shrinking. The administrative city of Sejong was the only major centre where population grew. South Korea's population, which hit a peak of 51.83 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072, according to the latest projection by the statistics agency.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Korea's birth rate rose for the first time in 9 years. Is the world's lowest fertility rate on the rebound?
South Korea's fertility rate rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, supported by an increase in marriages, preliminary data showed on Wednesday, in a sign that the country's demographic crisis might have turned a corner. The country's fertility rate, the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life, stood at 0.75 in 2024, according to Statistics Korea. In 2023, the birthrate fell for the eighth consecutive year to 0.72, the lowest in the world, from 1.24 in 2015, raising concerns over the economic shock to society from such a rapid pace. Since 2018, South Korea has been the only member of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) with a rate below 1. South Korea has rolled out various measures to encourage young people to get married and have children, after now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a 'national demographic crisis' and a plan to create a new ministry devoted to tackling low birth rates. 'There was a change in social value, with more positive views about marriage and childbirth,' Park Hyun-jung, an official at Statistics Korea, told a briefing, also citing the impact of a rise in the number of people in their early 30s and pandemic delays. 'It is difficult to measure how much each factor contributed to the rise in new births, but they themselves had an impact on each other too,' Park said. Marriages, a leading indicator of new births, jumped 14.9% in 2024, the biggest spike since the data started being released in 1970. Marriages turned up for the first time in 11 years in 2023 with a 1.0% increase powered by a post-pandemic boost. In the Asian country, there is a high correlation between marriages and births, with a time lag of one or two years, as marriage is often seen as a prerequisite to having children. Across the country, the birthrate last year was the lowest in the capital, Seoul, at 0.58. The latest data showed there were 120,000 more people who died last year than those who were newly born, marking the fifth consecutive year of the population naturally shrinking. The administrative city of Sejong was the only major centre where population grew. South Korea's population, which hit a peak of 51.83 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.22 million by 2072, according to the latest projection by the statistics agency.
