Number of newlyweds continues to fall in S. Korea for 2nd consecutive year in 2024
The number of South Korea’s newlyweds stood under 1 million for the second year in a row last year, with nearly 50% of couples having no children, the data by the government revealed Friday, Qazinform News Agency cites Yonhap.
There were 952,000 newlywed couples in 2024, down 2.3% from 974,000 couples in a year before, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
Newlyweds refer to couples who have been married for five years or less.
The number fell below 1 million in 2023 for the first time since such data began to be compiled in 2015.
The data indicates the downward trend is due to societal and lifestyle shifts with many delaying or choosing to stay single and childfree, fueled by rising housing prices, challenging labor market, and economic downturn.
Out of the newly married couples last year, 51.2% became parents, down 1.3% from the previous year.
It was noted that the overall fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is estimated to have during her lifetime, recovered for the first time in nine years, rising to 0.75.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported S&P projects S. Korea's economy to grow 2.3% in 2026.
