South Korea baby bump extends as births rise

Fertility rate increases for second year but experts say demographic outlook remains gloomy

South Korea’s birthrate rises for second year with experts saying ‘echo boomers’ behind boost

Demographers say the rebound is partly down to the 3.6 million children born between 1991 and 1995 reaching their early thirties South Korea recorded 254,500 births in 2025, the largest annual increase in 15 years, driven largely by a temporarily enlarged generation – known as “echo boomers” – now in their early thirties, alongside marriage rates recovering from Covid-era delays. The country’s fertility rate – the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime – rose to ...

By Raphael Rashid in Seoul

South Korea's birthrate, the world's lowest, rises again amid signs of easing demographic crisis

South Korea's total fertility rate, the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life, stood at 0.80 in 2025, up from 0.75 in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.