S. Korea sees 14-yr high rate of growth in births for May
The number of babies born in South Korea jumped nearly 4 percent from a year earlier in May, marking the sharpest increase for May in 14 years, government data showed Wednesday, Yonhap reports.
A total of 20,309 babies were born in May, up 3.8 percent from 19,567 babies born a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
It marked the steepest on-year increase for any May since 2011, when the figure rose by 5.3 percent.
May also marked the second consecutive month in which monthly births exceeded the 20,000 mark and the 11th straight month of on-year growth since last July.
A total of 106,048 babies were born between January and May. The figure represents a 6.9 percent increase from the same period last year, the highest growth rate for the first five months of any year since related statistics began in 1981.
The country's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, also rose by 0.02 from a year earlier to 0.75 in May
"The rise in births appears to be influenced by a continued increase in marriages and the growth in the population of women in their early 30s," an official at Statistics Korea said.
In South Korea, where childbirth outside of marriage remains rare, an increase in marriages tends to precede a rise in births.
The number of marriages in May climbed 4 percent on-year to 21,761, marking the 14th consecutive month of growth.
It also marked the largest number for any May since 2019, when the figure came to 23,045.
South Korea has long grappled with chronically low birth rates as many young people delay or forgo marriage and parenthood due to economic pressures and changing social values. In response, the government has introduced a series of incentives, including marriage grants and child care subsidies, to encourage childbirth.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in May remained nearly unchanged from a year earlier at 28,510, resulting in a natural population decline of 8,202.
South Korea has seen more deaths than births since the fourth quarter of 2019.
The number of divorces in May fell 6.4 percent on-year to 7,413, the data also showed.
Earlier, it was reported the death toll rises to 19 in South Korea after heavy rains, landslides.
