South Korea's birthrate rises for second year with experts saying echo boomers' behind boost

"Much of the rebound reflects what demographers describe as the echo boomer effect. Roughly 3.6 million children were born between 1991 and 1995, when births briefly rose after the government in effect ended its family planning policy. That cohort is now in its early thirties, the age at which birth rates are highest. Women in their early thirties numbered an estimated 1.7 million in 2025, up 9% from 2020."

"Park Hyun-jung, the director of the population trends division at the ministry, said the increase reflected the demographic effect, alongside sustained growth in marriages as Covid-era delays unwound and improving attitudes toward having children. Government survey data showed the share of respondents intending to have children after marriage rose 3.1% between 2022 and 2024."

"Births within two years of marriage increased 10.2%, continuing a recovery that began in 2024 after more than a decade of decline, suggesting couples marrying later may be bringing forward childbirth. Demographers caution that this demographic tailwind is likely to fade from 2027 as smaller post-1996 cohorts move into their thirties."

South Korea experienced its largest annual birth increase in 15 years, with 254,500 births recorded in 2025 and a fertility rate rising to 0.80 from 0.75. The surge reflects the echo boomer effect, as approximately 1.7 million women in their early thirties—the peak childbearing age—entered the reproductive window. This cohort was born between 1991 and 1995 when government family planning policies ended. Marriage rates recovered from Covid-era delays, with births within two years of marriage increasing 10.2%. Survey data showed 3.1% growth in respondents intending to have children after marriage between 2022 and 2024. Despite these gains, deaths exceeded births by 108,900, continuing population decline. South Korea remains the only OECD country with a fertility rate below 1.0, though demographers warn this demographic advantage will fade after 2027.

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