Marriages in South Korea rise for 2nd straight year in 2024: data

The number of couples tying the knot reached 222,400 last year, up from 193,700 in 2023, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

The figure had previously been on a downward trend after peaking at 430,000 in 1996, hitting a record low of 192,000 in 2022.

The agency said the number of newborns came to 238,000 in 2024, up slightly from a record low of 230,000 in 2023, the data showed.

Prior to the 2024 figure, the number of births had also been steadily declining since 1995, when 715,000 babies were born.

The agency attributed the increase in births to a rebound in marriage registrations following the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, where births outside of marriage remain rare, trends in marriages tend to directly impact birth rates.

"Despite the uptick, the birth figure for 2024 remains only around 33 percent of the level seen in 1995," said an agency official.

The average age of first-time newlyweds has also risen steadily, the agency said.

In 2024, the average age for men at first marriage was 33.9 years, while for women it was 31.6, up 5.5 years and 6.2 years, respectively, compared with 1995.

Marriage involving foreign nationals peaked in 2005 and declined for several years before starting to increase again in 2022.

In 2024, the number of marriages involving foreign wives rose to 16,000, up from 10,000 in 1995. Marriages involving foreign husbands came to 5,000 last year, up from 3,000 in 1995.

The average age of mothers giving first births came to 33.7 years in 2024, up from 27.9 years in 1995.

Statistics Korea analyzes marriage and birth trends over the past 30 years using data from its annual surveys.

Earlier, it was reported that marriages with foreign spouses in South Korea rose for the third year in 2024.