Seoul's birthrate rebounds as births and marriages surge

gettyimagesbank

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published Aug 27, 2026 2:12 PM KST

After years of setting grim global records for the world’s lowest fertility rates, Korea’s sprawling capital is orchestrating an unexpected demographic turnaround.

Driven by aggressive municipal welfare programs and shifting cultural attitudes, Seoul is witnessing a sustained surge in both births and marriages, offering a rare beacon of hope in East Asia’s ongoing demographic crisis.

According to annual data released by Statistics Korea, Seoul recorded 45,516 births in 2025, representing a 9.4 percent increase from the previous year. This marked the fastest growth rate among all 17 regions in Korea and secured a second consecutive year of population expansion for the metropolis. The capital's total fertility rate — the average number of children expected per woman — climbed to 0.63, steadily rebounding from its historic low of 0.55 in 2023 and consistently outpacing official forecasts.

The momentum is accelerating in 2026.

During the first six months of the year, Seoul registered 26,924 births, an 18.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025. Marriages — a critical leading indicator of future births in a society where out-of-wedlock childbearing remains relatively rare — rose 10.9 percent over the same timeframe to reach 26,840 unions, representing the highest growth rate nationwide.

Demographers attribute this turnaround to aggressive municipal policies designed to dismantle structural barriers to family planning. The city government eliminated income restrictions for fertility treatment subsidies, supporting more than 210,000 cases since 2023. Additionally, local initiatives have provided subsidized postpartum care for 120,000 mothers, transportation stipends for 210,000 expectant parents and dedicated housing solutions—known locally as "Mirinae Houses" — to more than 7,100 newlywed couples navigating the city's challenging real estate market.

These targeted financial interventions are reshaping public sentiment. Municipal surveys indicate that parental satisfaction regarding raising children in Seoul has improved for two straight years, with nearly 80 percent of childless married couples now intending to have a child within three years.

“The simultaneous rise in births and marriages demonstrates a clear virtuous cycle, where an increase in new marriages directly yields new life,” said Ma Chae-sook, head of the Women and Family Policy Affairs Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “To ensure this trend becomes permanent, we will build a comprehensive, all-out response system that strengthens support across childcare and family life.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.