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Korea, long known for having the world's lowest fertility rate, could see an increase in childbirths this year — the first rise in nine years — according to recent estimates by relevant government bodies.

The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy expects the nation's total fertility rate to stand at 0.74 child this year, up from 0.72 in 2023.

The total fertility rate represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have over the course of her lifetime.

If this estimate proves to be accurate, it will mark the first increase in childbirths here since 2015, when the fertility rate stood at 1.24 children. Additionally, the rate would be higher than the 0.68 forecast for this year by Statistics Korea.

"If the recent increase in the number of marriages and births is maintained, the total fertility rate this year is expected to be around 0.74, higher than 0.72 seen last year," Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy Vice Chairman Joo Hyung-hwan said during a conference hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries, Monday.

The National Assembly Budget Office also released a similar estimate last month.

"This year's total fertility rate is expected to rebound for the first time since 2015," the office predicted. "It will rise by 0.2 child from the previous year (0.72) and is forecast to continue to rise until 2028."

However, the total population is expected to continue to decline as the number of deaths will exceed the number of births, according to the office.

The estimates by the committee and the office are based on recent increases in births and marriages, as many people who delayed getting married during the COVID-19 pandemic have since tied the knot.

Over 20,000 babies were born from July to August, which is about 1,100 to 1,500 higher than the same period last year.

Also, the number of couples who got married from January to August this year stood at 146,503, an increase of 15,918 couples, or 12.2 percent, compared to the previous year.

Experts highlighted the need for consistency in policies to maintain the upward trend in the birthrate.

Hong Sok-chul, an economics professor at Seoul National University, said, "The effect of the policies aimed at boosting birthrates will appear with a time difference of one to two years. We need to continue consistent measures to ensure that the trend of childbirth and marriage increases continues."

"In addition to the recent trend, we can expect more positive results if these policies start to work properly," he said.

The committee surveyed 2,592 people aged 25 to 49 and found that 60.6 percent of respondents cited securing time for childcare as the most important factor in balancing work and family life for dual-income households.

Also, 88.1 percent of respondents emphasized the importance of creating an environment where companies fully support employees in using child-rearing assistance programs.