Nice to meet you! Baby!... Births Increase for Two Consecutive Months After 8 and a Half Years

Statistics Korea May Population Trends

The number of births in May increased by over 500 compared to the previous year, showing a rising trend for two consecutive months. This marks the first time in about 8 years and 6 months that the number of births has increased for two months in a row.

According to the 'May Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 24th, the number of births in May was 19,547, an increase of 514 (2.7%) compared to the same month last year. Following April (an increase of 521), this marks two consecutive months of growth. It is the first time since October-November 2015 that the number of births has increased for two consecutive months compared to the same months of the previous year.

There is analysis suggesting that the number of births, which hit a record low of 19,033 in May last year, may be rebounding as of May this year. The number of births in May entered the 30,000 range in 2004, dropped to the 20,000 range in 2018, and fell below 20,000 for the first time in May last year.

The concentration of marriages delayed due to COVID-19 from August 2022 through the first half of last year is also considered to have partially influenced the increase in births. However, the number of births in May this year still remains below 20,000. The cumulative number of births from January to May this year was 99,070, falling below 100,000 and marking a record low. This is due to a decrease in births from January to March despite a brief increase in April and May.

Lim Young-il, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, said, "It remains to be seen whether the bottom has been reached, but the increased number of marriages since August 2022 is expected to continue influencing the second half of this year."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In May, the number of births by city and province increased in 11 regions including Seoul and Busan compared to the same month last year, while it decreased in 6 regions including Gwangju and Daejeon. The crude birth rate, which represents the number of births per 1,000 people, was 4.5, slightly higher than last year.

The number of deaths in May was recorded at 28,546, a decrease of 339 (1.2%) compared to a year ago, marking a decline for the first time in four months. This is partly due to a reduction in deaths caused by COVID-19. However, the number of deaths still exceeds the number of births, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,999. The population has been declining for 55 consecutive months. Nevertheless, with more births and fewer deaths, the natural decrease was the smallest since June last year (-8,222).

The number of marriages showed a double-digit growth rate for two consecutive months. In May, the number of marriages increased by 3,712 (21.6%) compared to the same month last year, reaching 20,923. Following April's 24.6% increase, this marks a growth rate in the 20% range. Marriages increased in all regions except Sejong compared to last year, recovering to the 20,000 range for the first time since January this year (20,008).

Although the number of weekdays available for marriage registration in May was the same as last year, the number of marriages increased significantly. A Statistics Korea official said, "Marriages among people in their early 30s are increasing," adding, "Policies that alleviate various penalties related to marriage and support from local governments seem to have had an impact." The number of divorces in May was 7,923, a decrease of 470 (5.6%) compared to the same month last year.