Yeonggwang County Ranks First Nationwide in Total Fertility Rate for Six Consecutive Years

Effects of Customized Population Policies and More

Yeonggwang County recorded the highest total fertility rate nationwide as of last year. Photo by Yeonggwang County

Yeonggwang-gun in Jeollanam-do ranked first nationwide in total fertility rate in 2024. This marks the sixth consecutive year at the top.

According to the national birth rate status data released by Statistics Korea on the 26th, Yeonggwang-gun recorded a total fertility rate of 1.71, the highest in the country. This figure is more than twice the national average of 0.75.

Despite the nationwide low birth rate crisis, Yeonggwang-gun's customized population policies, including marriage and childbirth initiatives, are being credited with producing tangible results. In particular, the number of marriages in Yeonggwang-gun in 2024 increased by 71 cases (40%) from the previous year to 248. This rise in the marriage rate is seen as a positive sign that could lead to sustained birth rates and stable population growth in the future.

Yeonggwang-gun is supporting over 50 customized programs, spanning from marriage to childcare, under the goal of becoming a "city where it is good to have and raise children." Key policies include: ▲Marriage incentive grants (5 million KRW) ▲Interest support for newlywed and multi-child families' jeonse loans (up to 150,000 KRW per month for 3 years) ▲Transportation card support for pregnant women (300,000 KRW) ▲Infertility treatment cost support for couples (300,000 to 1.5 million KRW) ▲Postpartum care support (500,000 KRW per newborn) ▲Newborn childcare support (5 million KRW for the first child up to a maximum of 35 million KRW for the sixth child or more) ▲Birth celebration gift support (300,000 KRW) ▲Paternity leave incentive support (500,000 KRW per month, up to 6 months), among others.

County Governor Jang Seil stated, "We will continue to implement practical population policies that ensure balance throughout the life cycle, from marriage, childbirth, and parenting to youth and young adults, creating an environment in which future generations can grow up stably."