South Korea has seen the highest birth rate increase in nearly 12 years, and the number of marriages is also surging. How has this been happening recently in a country notorious for declining birth rates? We tackle the details to see what's really going on!
July 2024 saw the biggest increase in Korean births in the past 12 years with a total of 20,601 babies born in July alone. This is a 7.9% increase compared to the previous year.
This surge is partly down to Korea already having a low birth rate and marriage rate, which was blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic where many marriages were postponed. Marriages in July 2024 saw the highest increase rates since records began in 1981.
The number of deaths was 28,240 in July 2024, an increase of 0.4% over July 2023, resulting in a natural population decline of over 7,639. At the same time, marriages in July 2024 surged by 32.9% over July 2023, exceeding 18,000 marriages. This marks the highest year-over-year increase for any July since records began in 1981 and the largest overall rise in 28 years. The highest is a 50.6% jump in January 1996.
Let's take a look at this video which provides us with more information.
Our breakdown
We think that this is really good news, as Korea's birthrate for a long time had been on the decline which would have affected Korea in the long term in terms of filling job opportunities and industries.
Previously, for a long time now, Korea has recorded a dangerously low birth rate, which kept on getting lower and lower. People took to social media platforms such as Instagram to express their concerns and reasoning as to why it was so low;
Korea has also offered incentives for couples to get married and have babies which in turn should see the birthrate continue to rise, especially outside of the capital Seoul where the programs are pushed more. (Check out this article for more details) Will these incentives work?
In the meantime let us know what you think of this positive news.
Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments below. Do you think the incentives help in the long-term?
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