Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Number of marriages hits 7-year high in 2025
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By Park Han-sol
The number of marriages in Korea climbed to a seven-year high in 2025, rebounding to prepandemic levels, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, Thursday.
Experts point to a growing population of people in their early 30s and a gradual shift in young people’s attitudes toward marriage as key drivers behind the rise.
A total of 240,300 couples tied the knot last year, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier. The figure had been in steady decline from 2018 to 2022, plunging from 257,600 to an all-time low of 191,700. It began to recover in 2023, marking a third straight year of gains in 2025.
The average age at first marriage stood at 33.9 for men and 31.6 for women. Meanwhile, divorces fell 3.3 percent year-on-year to 88,000.
“The increase in marriages can largely be explained by the so-called ‘echo boom generation’ — those born between 1991 and 1996 during a temporary rise in births — reaching prime marrying age,” said Hong Sok-chul, an economics professor at Seoul National University. “With a larger population in their early 30s, the total number of marriages naturally increases.”
The crude marriage rate — the number of marriages per 1,000 people — also rose, suggesting there is more than demographics alone. Hong pointed to a more fundamental shift: changing perceptions of marriage.
According to a 2025 survey by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, the share of single men and women between their 20s and 40s who view marriage and having children positively has steadily climbed into the 60 percent range.
“At this point, it’s difficult to say the rise is simply due to pent-up demand from delayed pandemic weddings,” the professor said. “More fundamentally, it reflects a shift in how younger generations think about marriage.”
Part of that shift, he added, may be tied to policy.
“While Korea’s low-birthrate policies continue to face many challenges, the government has introduced meaningful changes around work-life balance and significantly expanded housing support,” he said. “Young people have responded positively to these measures, and we’re beginning to see attitudes change across society.”
Still, Hong cautioned that the rebound may prove to be temporary.
The echo boom generation will age out of peak marrying years around 2030, after which the underlying population base will shrink, potentially dragging down the total number of marriages even if the marriage rate itself holds steady.
“That means even if the marriage rate rises, the absolute number of marriages could decline,” he said. “Without more aggressive policies to address low birthrates, there’s no guarantee the current trend will continue.”
Separate data showed that international marriages between Koreans and foreign spouses declined 0.3 percent year-on-year to 20,700 in 2025, putting a stop to a three-year streak of increases since 2021.
Divorces among multicultural couples rose 4.2 percent to 6,000.