South Korea's Birth Rate Rises for First Time in Nine Years

South Korea's birthrate saw a significant increase in 2024, marking the first rise in nine years. According to preliminary data, the number of babies born per 1,000 people rose to 4.7, a 1.4% increase from the previous year. This increase led to a total of 238,300 births in 2024, up from 230,000 in 2023. The birthrate in 2023 was 0.72 children per woman, the lowest in the world, but it rose to 0.75 in 2024, still below the replacement rate of 2.1.