April Birth Rate Sees Record 18% Increase, Cumulative Total Reaches 100,000 This Year

The number of babies born in the first four months of this year has reached nearly 100,000, marking the highest figure in seven years.

The growth rate of newborn births hit record highs for both the month of April and the cumulative period from January to April.

According to the 'April Population Trends' released by the National Data Agency today (June 24), the number of births in April this year was 24,521, an increase of 3,734 (18.0%) compared to the same month last year.

The scale of births is the highest for the month of April since 2019 (26,104).

The growth rate for April was the highest since statistics began to be compiled in 1981.

The number of births has been increasing for 22 consecutive months since July 2024 (7.8%).

From January to April of this year, a total of 99,534 babies were born.

This cumulative total for the January–April period is also the highest in seven years since 2019 (109,134).

The growth rate compared to the same period last year also reached a record high of 15.5%.

The total fertility rate for April (the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime) was 0.93, an increase of 0.13 from the same month last year.

The recent steady increase in births is attributed to the rise in marriages over the past two years, an increase in the population of women in their 30s, and a shift toward more positive perceptions regarding childbirth.

The number of marriages in April was 20,622, an increase of 1,703 (9.0%) from a year ago, surpassing the 20,000 mark.

Following a significant 24.6% increase in 2024, the upward trend has continued through last year (4.9%) and into this year.

The number of marriages in April was the highest for that month since 2016 (22,844).

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.