Gangjin County Ranks Second Nationwide in Total Fertility Rate for Two Consecutive Years

1.60 Births... Surpassing the National and Jeollanam-do Averages
Impact of Childcare Allowance and Other Birth Support Policies

Gangjin County in Jeollanam-do (Governor Kang Jinwon) achieved the second highest total fertility rate nationwide for two consecutive years, recording 1.60 births according to the “2024 Birth and Death Statistics (Provisional)” released by Statistics Korea on the 26th. This figure significantly exceeds the national average of 0.75 and the Jeollanam-do average of 1.03, and is an increase of 0.13 compared to 2023 (1.47).

According to the county on the 27th, this achievement is attributed to various birth and childcare support policies, including the nation’s highest level of childcare allowances and postpartum care subsidies implemented since October 2022, which have contributed to maintaining the second highest total fertility rate nationwide for two years in a row.

From the planning stage of pregnancy, the county supports healthy pregnancies through programs such as: ▲preconception health management support ▲health checkups for newlyweds ▲subsidies for infertility treatments ▲egg freezing and assisted reproductive procedures using frozen eggs ▲vasectomy and tubal ligation reversal procedures.

Kang Jinwon, head of Gangjin County, and his wife are warmly greeting the first newborn of 2025 in Gangjin. Provided by Gangjin County

For pregnant women, the county provides: ▲folic acid and iron supplements ▲ultrasound and congenital anomaly screening costs ▲pregnant women’s seatbelt rentals ▲issuance of pregnant women’s vehicle tags ▲maternity supplies, among other supports.

For households with newborns, a total of 23.94 million KRW is provided over one year, including 7.2 million KRW in childcare allowance, 12 million KRW in parental allowance, 1.2 million KRW in child allowance, 2 million KRW in “First Meeting Voucher,” and 1.54 million KRW for postpartum care center costs, averaging about 2 million KRW per month.

Furthermore, even after the child turns one, the county provides up to 57.6 million KRW in support until the child is under seven years old, including 43.2 million KRW in childcare allowance, 6 million KRW in parental allowance, and 8.4 million KRW in child allowance, thereby reducing the financial burden on families with children.

Baek Inkyung, a resident of Gangjin-eup, Gangjin County, who gave birth to her second child this January, said, “I had my first child on January 1 last year. The support for postpartum care and childcare allowance has been a great help in raising my child, and it encouraged me to plan and give birth to my second child quickly.”

As seen in this case, the total fertility rate is greatly influenced not only by the birth of the first child but also by the birth of second and subsequent children in multi-child families, and Gangjin County’s birth and childcare policies have proven to be highly effective in increasing the total fertility rate.

Going forward, the county plans to continue increasing the birth rate by not only providing cash benefits such as childcare allowances, but also by expanding play facilities such as Mam Pyeonhan Center, wooden playgrounds, and Gangjinman Ecological Experience Center, strengthening care services through Gangjin County Childcare Support Center and Gangjin-style Childcare Plus, designating special education development zones, and providing bundled support for education and housing, including remodeling vacant houses, to create an environment where residents can plan pregnancies and raise children with peace of mind.

Governor Kang Jinwon stated, “Along with childcare allowances, we will do our utmost to invigorate our society by developing various birth and childcare support policies, and by implementing Gangjin County’s leading local extinction response policy that links housing, jobs, and childcare.”