Why did South Korea’s births rise in April 2026?

Experts attributed the recent growth to an increase in the number of marriages and a more positive perception of childbirth. The number of newborns has also been on an upward trend since July 2024.

What was South Korea’s total fertility rate in April 2026?

The total fertility rate was 0.93 in April, up 0.13 from a year earlier. The figure remained well below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

What happened to South Korea’s population balance in April 2026?

Deaths totaled 28,405 in April, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier. That left a natural population decline of 3,884 even though births and marriages both increased.

Childbirths soar to highest level in 7 years in April

Listen

Summary

South Korea’s births jumped 18 percent in April to 24,521, the highest April total in seven years. The January-April total reached 99,534, also a seven-year high, while the total fertility rate rose to 0.93. Marriages increased 9 percent to 20,622, and deaths fell 1.3 percent, leaving a natural population decline of 3,884.

Key Facts

April births rose from 20,787 a year earlier to 24,521, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The January-April total number of births reached 99,534, up 15.5 percent from a year earlier.
The total fertility rate rose by 0.13 from a year earlier to 0.93 in April.
Marriages increased 9 percent from a year earlier to 20,622, the highest April figure since 2016.
Deaths fell 1.3 percent from a year earlier to 28,405, resulting in a natural population decline of 3,884.

By Yonhap

Published Jun 24, 2026 12:16 pm KST

Newborns at a hospital in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, April 22. Yonhap

The number of babies born in South Korea shot up 18 percent in April from a year earlier, reaching the highest level in seven years, government data showed Wednesday.

A total of 24,521 babies were born in April, up from 20,787 a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It marked the highest figure for any April since 26,104 babies were recorded in 2019.

Over the January-April period, the total number of births came to 99,534, also the highest in seven years, up a sharp 15.5 percent from a year earlier.

The number of births grew at a record rate for both April and the January-April period.

The country's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, rose by 0.13 from a year earlier to 0.93 in April.

The number of newborns has been on an upward trend since July 2024.

Experts attribute the recent growth to an increase in the number of marriages, along with a more positive perception of childbirth.

The rate still remains well below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

The number of marriages in April rose 9 percent from a year earlier to 20,622. It was also the highest figure since 22,844 was recorded in April 2016.

The number of divorces, meanwhile, rose 7.3 percent from a year earlier to 7,829.

The data showed the number of deaths fell 1.3 percent from a year earlier to 28,405, resulting in a natural population decline of 3,884.

Explore More