Wow! More South Korean Citizens Marrying, a Sign the Country Could Be Saved

Wow! More South Korean Citizens Marrying, a Sign the Country Could Be Saved

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - South Korea recorded its largest annual birth rate increase in 15 years in 2025. Although the country’s birth rate is still far below the fertility threshold needed to curb the population decline, this is a glimmer of hope for the nation.

Official data released on Wednesday (25/2/2026) by South Korea’s Ministry of Data and Statistics showed that the annual birth rate increased by more than 6% in the period 2024-2025. This increase is the sharpest since 2010 and marks the second consecutive year of birth rate increases in the country.

Although the birth rate has increased, the fertility rate, or the average number of children born per woman, has only slightly increased from 0.75 to 0.8. This figure is still far below the 2.1 threshold needed to maintain the current population of around 51 million.

So, what caused the increase in births?

Ministry officials said that the surge in marriages is the main factor behind the increase in births. In South Korea, single parenthood is still often stigmatized, so most births occur within marriage.

“The number of marriages increased for 21 consecutive months from April 2024 to December last year because couples who postponed their weddings due to the Covid-19 pandemic finally got married,” said statistics official Park Hyun-jeong to reporters, as quoted by AFP.

Experts say that the low birth rate is caused by various factors, ranging from the high cost of raising children to the highly competitive culture, which makes it difficult to obtain high-paying jobs. The double burden borne by working mothers, such as managing household chores and childcare while maintaining a career, is also cited as a key factor.

The government in Seoul has rolled out various policies to address the demographic crisis, including cash assistance, childcare support, and infertility treatment subsidies. However, with the fertility rate still far from ideal, the challenge of population decline is expected to remain in the long term.