27,000 Babies Born in January, Highest in 7 Years... Total Fertility Rate Nears 1

Ministry of Data and Statistics Releases January Population Trends
Population Growth in 30s and Rising Marriages Drive Increase
Domestic Migration in February Hits Lowest Level in 32 Years

In January of this year, approximately 27,000 babies were born, marking the highest figure in seven years. The total fertility rate—the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—also approached 1.0. The number of marriages, a leading indicator for future births, continued to rise and reached its highest level in eight years.

According to the population trends for January released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on March 25, the number of births stood at 26,916, an increase of 2,817 babies (11.7%) compared to the same period last year.

As of January, this was the largest number of births since 2019 (30,271) over the past seven years.

The number of births had been declining for nine consecutive years since 2016 (-6.0%), but it surged by 12.5% last year and has increased by more than 10% for two consecutive years as of this year.

This is largely attributed to the growth in the population of people in their 30s, as well as an increase in the number of marriages.

The total fertility rate in January of this year was 0.99, up by 0.10 from a year earlier. This is the highest monthly total fertility rate since the ministry began compiling this statistic in January 2024. The rate increased across all age groups, with the largest rise among those in their 30s.

For those in their early 30s (ages 30–34), the rate was 90.9, up by 8.7 from a year earlier, while for those in their late 30s (ages 35–39), it increased by 8.0 to reach 65.8.

Among people in their late 20s (ages 25–29), the rate was 25.6, up by 1.5, and among those aged 40 and above, it rose by 0.3 to 5.1.

In terms of birth order, first-born children accounted for 63.5% of births, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. The proportion of second- and third-born or later children each decreased by 0.7 percentage points.

The upward trend in marriages also continued. In January, there were 22,640 marriages, an increase of 2,489 (12.4%) from a year earlier. This is the highest January figure since 2018 (24,370) in eight years.

The year-on-year growth rate for January was the third highest since 1997, when the special exception for same-surname marriages was enacted.

The number of deaths declined. Last month, there were 32,454 deaths, a decrease of 6,950 (17.6%) from a year earlier. The Ministry of Data and Statistics explained that this was due to the base effect, as the number of deaths jumped by 21.7% in January of last year owing to deteriorating weather conditions.

With births increasing and deaths decreasing, the rate of natural population decline also slowed.

In January, the natural population change (births minus deaths) was -5,539. However, some regions such as Seoul (329 people) and Incheon (44 people) saw natural population increases.

The number of divorces in January was recorded at 7,208, an increase of 290 cases (4.2%).

Meanwhile, according to the "Domestic Migration Statistics for February," the number of people who moved domestically last month was 615,000, a decrease of 11.5% from a year earlier. This is the lowest figure for February since 1994 (596,000) in 32 years.

While the number of movers has been on a long-term downward trend due to an aging population and overall population decline, in the short term, it is significantly influenced by factors such as the volume of housing transactions and the supply of newly completed apartments.

An official from the Ministry of Data and Statistics explained, "Although the number of home sales increased from December of last year through January of this year, the number of completions declined sharply during the same period," adding that "the Lunar New Year holiday, a time when people traditionally move less, also appears to have played a role."

Of all movers, 60.7% moved within the same metropolitan or provincial area, while 39.3% moved between different areas.

The population migration rate, which is the number of movers per 100 people, was 15.7%, a decrease of 2.0 percentage points from the same month last year. This is the lowest figure since related statistics began being compiled in 2000.

By region, net migration (arrivals minus departures) was positive in seven areas, including Gyeonggi (4,428 people), Seoul (4,227), and Daejeon (913).

In contrast, 10 regions, including Gyeongnam (-3,454), Gyeongbuk (-2,011), and Ulsan (-1,410), saw net outflows.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.