South Korea's February Newborns Highest in Nearly 7 Years; Fertility Rate of Women in Their 30s Rises
South Korea recorded nearly 23,000 births in February, up 13.6% year-on-year, marking the highest for the month in seven years. This is attributed to higher fertility rates among women in their 30s and expanded pro-family policies like enhanced parental leave.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 16:23
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Central News
(CNA Reporter Yang Chi-fa, Seoul, 22nd) South Korea saw nearly 23,000 newborns in February this year, the highest for the same month in seven years. South Korean media reported today that a significant increase in the fertility rate among women in their 30s drove the overall growth; additionally, improved parental leave benefits and loan incentives were contributing factors.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the national data agency released demographic statistics today showing that the number of births in February this year was 22,898, an increase of 2,747 or 13.6% compared to the same period last year. Looking specifically at February, it is the highest since 2019 (25,710 people), and the growth rate is the third highest in history, trailing only behind 1990 and 2000.
The report pointed out that the number of births in South Korea has shown an upward trend for 20 consecutive months since July 2024. The total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime) for February was 0.93, an increase of 0.10 compared to last year.
Statistically, the increase in births was mainly driven by the demographic in their 30s. Looking at the age-specific fertility rate per 1,000 women, the rate for those aged 30-34 was 86.1, and for those aged 35-39 was 61.5, representing increases of 9.1 and 9.2 respectively; the rate for those aged 25-29 increased by 1.6 to 23.9, and for those 40 and older, it increased by 0.7 to 5.1. However, the rate for those under 24 was 2.2, a decrease of 0.2 from last year.
Joo Hyung-hwan, former Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, recently published a book titled "700 Days of Major Transformation in Population Policy". According to an excerpt by News1, Joo stated that solving the declining birth rate problem should not merely focus on "responding to the declining birth rate," but should shift the policy framework to support the entire life cycle.
Joo previously focused policies on three major aspects: "work," "care," and "housing." He stated that to reduce the burden and opportunity cost of childbirth and child-rearing, it is necessary to simultaneously promote work-family balance, state-responsible care, and housing and financial support. The core concept is to establish a childcare environment that can be "used flexibly when needed, without worrying about income, and without having to care about how others look at you."
According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, for example, under the premise that both parents use at least 3 months (both parents must take it), parental leave can be extended to 1 year and 6 months (both parents can take it), and the parental leave subsidy has been raised to a maximum of 2.5 million won (about 60,000 NTD) per month for each parent.
There is also a reduction in working hours during pregnancy. Female workers can apply to reduce their working hours by 2 hours a day, and the company should permit it. The applicable targets have been expanded to pregnant workers within 12 weeks or after 32 weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, under the premise of maintaining established statutory working hours, those with children under 12 years old or below the 6th grade of elementary school can adjust their commuting hours. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150422
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(CNA Reporter Yang Chi-fa, Seoul, 22nd) South Korea saw nearly 23,000 newborns in February this year, the highest for the same month in seven years. South Korean media reported today that a significant increase in the fertility rate among women in their 30s drove the overall growth; additionally, improved parental leave benefits and loan incentives were contributing factors.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the national data agency released demographic statistics today showing that the number of births in February this year was 22,898, an increase of 2,747 or 13.6% compared to the same period last year. Looking specifically at February, it is the highest since 2019 (25,710 people), and the growth rate is the third highest in history, trailing only behind 1990 and 2000.
The report pointed out that the number of births in South Korea has shown an upward trend for 20 consecutive months since July 2024. The total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime) for February was 0.93, an increase of 0.10 compared to last year.
Statistically, the increase in births was mainly driven by the demographic in their 30s. Looking at the age-specific fertility rate per 1,000 women, the rate for those aged 30-34 was 86.1, and for those aged 35-39 was 61.5, representing increases of 9.1 and 9.2 respectively; the rate for those aged 25-29 increased by 1.6 to 23.9, and for those 40 and older, it increased by 0.7 to 5.1. However, the rate for those under 24 was 2.2, a decrease of 0.2 from last year.
Joo Hyung-hwan, former Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, recently published a book titled "700 Days of Major Transformation in Population Policy". According to an excerpt by News1, Joo stated that solving the declining birth rate problem should not merely focus on "responding to the declining birth rate," but should shift the policy framework to support the entire life cycle.
Joo previously focused policies on three major aspects: "work," "care," and "housing." He stated that to reduce the burden and opportunity cost of childbirth and child-rearing, it is necessary to simultaneously promote work-family balance, state-responsible care, and housing and financial support. The core concept is to establish a childcare environment that can be "used flexibly when needed, without worrying about income, and without having to care about how others look at you."
According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, for example, under the premise that both parents use at least 3 months (both parents must take it), parental leave can be extended to 1 year and 6 months (both parents can take it), and the parental leave subsidy has been raised to a maximum of 2.5 million won (about 60,000 NTD) per month for each parent.
There is also a reduction in working hours during pregnancy. Female workers can apply to reduce their working hours by 2 hours a day, and the company should permit it. The applicable targets have been expanded to pregnant workers within 12 weeks or after 32 weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, under the premise of maintaining established statutory working hours, those with children under 12 years old or below the 6th grade of elementary school can adjust their commuting hours. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150422
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to protect freedom of the press.
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The text, pictures, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.