February Births Increase by Over 3% Year-on-Year...Up for Five Consecutive Months

The number of newborns in February increased by more than 3% compared to the same month last year, reaching over 20,000.

According to the "February Population Trends" released by Statistics Korea on April 23, the number of births in February 2025 was 20,035, an increase of 622 (3.2%) compared to February of the previous year. This marks the first time since 2014 that the number of births in February has risen. The magnitude of this increase is also the largest since February 2012, when there was a 6.4% rise.

The number of births has been on an upward trend for eight consecutive months since July of last year, when it increased by 7.8% year-on-year. For four consecutive months, the year-on-year growth rate has remained in double digits: 13.4% in October, 14.3% in November, 11.6% in December, and 11.6% in January of this year.

An official from Statistics Korea explained, "The upward trend in births that began last year has continued," citing the increase in marriage rates after the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the number of women in their early 30s as factors contributing to the increase in births.

By region, the number of births increased in nine regions, including Seoul and Busan, compared to the same month last year, while it decreased in eight regions, including Gwangju and Sejong. The total fertility rate in February 2025 was 0.82, an increase of 0.05 compared to the same period last year.

The number of deaths in February 2025 was 30,283, an increase of 401 (1.3%) compared to the same month last year. Since the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, the population decreased naturally by 10,248 in February. This natural population decline has continued for 51 consecutive months since November 2019.