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South Korea demographic and fertility trends

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-27 03:20 UTC → 2026-09-06 00:24 UTC · added ~~removed~~

South Korea is experiencing a demographic shift characterized by a recent upward trend in birth rates alongside a rapidly aging population. While the total fertility rate (TFR) reached 0.95 in early 2024, recent data shows births in June rose 15.6 percent year-on-year, marking the 24th consecutive month of growth. The TFR for June rose to 0.88, and the first half of the year saw a 15.4 percent increase in births, the highest growth rate since 1981. This recovery is attributed to rising marriage rates following the pandemic and record-high birth rates among women in their late 30s and early 40s. Despite these gains, the TFR remains the lowest among OECD nations and well below the 2.1 required for population stability. While first-child births have seen a significant surge, the proportion of second or subsequent children has decreased. The youth population (0–14) fell 24.9 percent over the last decade, while the 65-plus cohort grew 62 percent, now accounting for 20.7 percent of the population. Regional disparities exist, with higher fertility in Jeonnam and Sejong compared to Seoul and Busan. The surge in births coincides with a sharp decline in essential medical services. The number of birthing hospitals fell 29.7 percent between 2015 and 2023, driven by low recruitment rates for obstetrics (61.4 percent) and pediatric (20.6 percent) residencies. ~~Economic pressures continue~~ To address these challenges, the government has announced new direct cash subsidy policies set to ~~drive~~ begin in 2027. These include a ~~gap between citizens' ideal and actual number of children. While 71 percent~~ one-time marriage subsidy of ~~respondents aged 20~~ 1 million won for all registered couples and newborn support subsidies ranging from 10 to ~~49 desire two or more children,~~ 20 million won per child. The policies prioritize families outside the ~~average is only 1.07. Primary obstacles include child-rearing~~ Seoul metropolitan area and ~~education costs, work-life balance difficulties (40.4%),~~ include a new monthly basic child allowance estimated between 200,000 and ~~housing issues (36.6%).~~ 400,000 won.

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