South Korea sees rise in childbirths for 9th straight month in March
21,041 babies born in March, marking 6.8% increase from year earlier as government incentives continue
ISTANBUL
The number of babies born in South Korea rose for the ninth straight month in March, according to data from Statistics Korea cited by Seoul-based Yonhap News on Wednesday.
A total of 21,041 births were recorded in March, a 6.8% increase from the 19,694 births logged in the same month last year. This marks the first year-over-year rise in March births in a decade.
The upward trend began in July 2024 and continued into the first quarter of 2025, which saw 65,022 newborns -- a 7.4% increase from the same period last year. It was the largest year-on-year increase for any first quarter since records began in 1981, and the highest first-quarter total in three years, after 68,339 births were reported in early 2022.
Officials say the increase follows government efforts to counter the country’s persistently low birth rate. Measures include marriage incentives and expanded childcare subsidies.
Last year marked the first annual rise in births in nearly a decade.
Despite the rebound, deaths still outnumbered births in March. A total of 31,141 people died -- up 0.2% from the previous year -- leading to a natural population decline of 10,100 for the month. South Korea has reported more deaths than births every quarter since late 2019.
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