Yangju City "The Only Increase in Births in Northern Gyeonggi... Ranked 3rd Nationwide"

Number of Births Increased by 117 Compared to 2018
Marriage Rate at 4.0 Cases, Higher Than the Average of 3.8
Birth Increase Included in 10 Basic Local Governments Nationwide

A view of Yangju City Hall.

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province has proven to be a livable city by recording the third highest birth rate nationwide, with the number of births increasing uniquely among local governments in northern Gyeonggi compared to five years ago in 2018.

According to recent nationwide birth data released by Statistics Korea on the 1st, the number of newborns nationwide last year was 230,028, which is 96,794 fewer than in 2018, five years ago.

On the other hand, Yangju City recorded 1,421 births last year, an increase of 117 from the 1,304 births in 2018, making it the only local government in northern Gyeonggi to see an increase in births compared to five years ago. It recorded the third highest birth rate nationwide.

The places where the number of births increased include Gwacheon City (318), Hanam City (129), Yangju City (117), Dong-gu of Gwangju Metropolitan City (81), Jung-gu of Incheon Metropolitan City (64), Gimje City in Jeonbuk (56), Dong-gu of Busan Metropolitan City (45), Pyeongtaek City (42), Yesan County in Chungnam (24), and Muan County in Jeonnam (24).

This is unusual compared to the 17 metropolitan local governments and 226 basic local governments nationwide, including Gyeonggi Province, which saw the largest decrease of 19,358, and Seoul City, which decreased by 18,618, with 216 local governments accounting for 95.6% experiencing a decline in births during the same period.

Yangju City cited a high crude marriage rate (the number of total marriages occurring in one year divided by the population of that year (as of July 1), usually expressed as the number of marriages per 1,000 people) as the reason for the increase in births.

In 2023, Yangju’s crude marriage rate was 4.0, higher than the national average of 3.8 according to the National Statistical Portal’s crude marriage rate data.

The crude marriage rate peaked at 9.6 in 1992 and has been declining nationwide, falling below the national average of 4.0 since 2021.

However, Yangju has maintained a crude marriage rate above 4.0 by recording a high marriage rate centered around new towns.

Additionally, Yangju is continuously attracting newlyweds through the expansion of residential environments via the Okjeong and Hoecheon New Town development projects, the largest in the northeastern metropolitan area.

Furthermore, the acceleration of young population inflow is supported by the expansion of living infrastructure such as transportation and education, including ▲ the groundbreaking of Eunnam General Industrial Complex and Yangju Technovalley ▲ the groundbreaking of Yangju Station area ▲ approval of the GTX-C line by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ passage of the Seoul-Yangju Expressway by the Ministry of Economy and Finance ▲ selection as a pilot area for an education special zone ▲ and operation of the first metropolitan bus in the western region, maintaining a high local marriage rate.

Mayor Kang Su-hyun said, “It is significant that Yangju records a high marriage and birth rate despite the trend of many young generations giving up on marriage,” and added, “In the second half of the 8th term of the elected government, we will do our best to grow Yangju into the central city of northern Gyeonggi with a population of 500,000.”