Seongdong District Ranks First Among Seoul Districts in Total Fertility Rate for Second Consecutive Year

Highest Fertility Rate at 0.797... 21% Increase in Births This Year

“Effectiveness of Comprehensive Childbirth and Parenting-Friendly Policies”

Seongdong District in Seoul (Mayor Yubo-hwa) announced on September 9 that its total fertility rate for 2025 stands at 0.797, ranking first among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts for the second consecutive year. Since the beginning of this year, the number of newborns has also increased by more than 20% compared to the same period last year.

Yubo Hwa, mayor of Seongdong District, is interacting with children at a local event. Provided by Seongdong District.

According to the “2025 Birth and Death Statistics (Final)” released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on August 26, the total fertility rate in Seongdong District was 0.797, the highest among all autonomous districts. The total fertility rate refers to the average number of children that one woman of childbearing age (15–49 years old) is expected to have throughout her lifetime.

Based on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s resident registration statistics, the number of newborns in Seongdong District in 2025 is 1,898, an increase of 206 (12.2%) compared to 2024. From January to August in 2026, there were 1,500 births, which is 261 more than the same period last year (1,239), resulting in a growth rate of 21.1%. The district attributes this upward trend to policies addressing low birth rates that have provided consistent support from pregnancy and childbirth to infant and toddler care as well as elementary after-school care.

Seongdong District introduced the “Seongdong-style Household Support Service for Pregnant Women” in 2020, providing free household services to local families from the pregnancy stage up to one year after childbirth. Families with a single child can use the service up to seven times, while families with multiple births can use it up to ten times; services include cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and accompaniment to medical appointments.

To address gaps in childcare for dual-income or otherwise unavailable parents, the district operates the “Childcare Support Program,” in which caregivers visit homes with children aged 12 or younger. The district provides subsidies for caregiver activities and has expanded its recruitment to increase the workforce. Starting in the second half of 2027, Seongdong District plans to introduce a dedicated group of “Seongdong-style Specialized Caregivers,” launching a new “Seongdong Emergency Childcare Service” that allows families to request childcare with two hours’ notice in cases of emergency, such as sudden hospitalization or business trips by parents.

The district has also expanded its public childcare infrastructure. Over the past 10 years, Seongdong has converted 30 unused spaces in apartment complexes and religious facilities into public daycare centers. As of August this year, the utilization rate for public daycare centers in Seongdong was 72.4%, topping the city’s autonomous districts and surpassing the Seoul average of 57%.

Early morning care services for elementary school children of dual-income families are also being expanded. The district plans to install a “Gap-Free Safe Care Center” near Oksu Station, which will be piloted in the second half of next year. The center will take care of children until school starts each day, ensuring they arrive safely at school on behalf of parents who leave for work early in the morning.

Mayor Yubo-hwa said, “The steady increase in the number of newborns is a welcome change that brightens Seongdong’s future,” and pledged, “We will redouble our efforts to make Seongdong a great place to raise children by ensuring strong support from childbirth to childcare and after-school care.”

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