This file photo, taken Sept. 12, 2024, shows newborn babies at a hospital in Seoul. Yonhap

The number of babies born in Korea increased for the first time in nine years in 2024, driven by a post-pandemic rise in marriages, evolving attitudes toward parenthood and demographic changes, the statistics agency said Wednesday.

A total of 238,300 babies were born last year, up 3.6 percent from a record low of 230,000 in 2023, according to Statistics Korea. The figure had been declining since 2015, when it stood at 438,400.

The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, also rebounded for the first time in nine years, reaching 0.75 in 2024, up from 0.72 tallied a year earlier.

The figure surpassed the government's earlier forecast of 0.74.

However, it still remains among the lowest in the world and about half the average of the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Since 2018, the country has been the only member of the OECD with a rate below 1.

It also remains far below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman, which is needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

The government aims to raise the rate to 1 by 2030.

"The rising trend in marriages that began after the COVID-19 pandemic has continued," Park Hyun-jeong, an official from Statistics Korea, said at a press briefing. She noted that the number of marriages in 2024 was the highest since 1996.

A total of 222,422 couples were married last year, up 14.9 percent from the previous year, marking the steepest annual increase since the agency began compiling relevant data in 1981.

The agency said more couples tied the knot starting from the second half of 2022 through the first half of 2023 after delaying their marriages during the earlier stages of the pandemic.

The agency also attributed the increase in childbirths to more positive perceptions toward marriage and parenthood among the younger population in recent years, citing its biennial social survey.

Park also pointed to demographic shifts, noting that the population of people in their early 30s, a key childbearing age group, has increased.

The agency noted the country had seen a bump in the number of births between 1991 and 1995.

The number of births per 1,000 women came to 70.4 among those in their early 30s, followed by 46 for those in their late 30s and 20.7 for people in their late 20s, the agency said.

Korea has long struggled with a declining birthrate, as many young people delay or forgo marriage and parenthood due to economic burdens and shifting societal norms.

In response, the government has introduced various policies to support marriage and child-rearing, including financial benefits for newlyweds and expanded childcare assistance.

Despite the rebound, concerns remain over whether the trend will continue.

The number of women of childbearing age and the population in their 30s are projected to decline starting from 2027, potentially limiting further increases in the birth rate.

"While the number of women of childbearing age is forecast to decrease, factors such as government policies and evolving social values can still influence fertility rates," Park said.

Park Hyun-jeong, an official from Statistics Korea, speaks to reporters at the government complex in Sejong, Feb. 26. Yonhap

Experts evaluated the rebound as a positive sign after nearly a decade of decline but cautioned against assuming the trend will continue.

"It is positive that the rebound has started," said Kim Young-mi, a professor who previously served on the government committee on low birth rates.

She further stressed that the marginal increase in the total fertility rate makes it difficult to consider the rebound a success given the significant decline over the years.

"There does not appear to be any special reason for the birthrate to increase again this year. On the contrary, the effects of the recent political crisis and economic downturn could eventually have a negative impact," said Lee Cheol-hee, an economics professor at Seoul National University, referring to the political fallout following President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in December over his brief declaration of martial law.

Lee urged the government to carefully review whether the various support measures have spurred the rebound and to use this assessment to guide future policymaking.

Joo Hyung-hwan, vice chair of the presidential committee on birthrate, said the "golden time for improving fertility rates will be until 2031."

Joo called for the swift establishment of the so-called "population strategy ministry" at the government to devise "consistent" policies to tackle the issue, while stressing the need to further encourage the paternal leave system and support for infertility treatments. (Yonhap)