The Korea Herald today shared some data from Statistics Korea:

the number of babies born in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year. That makes it the highest first-quarter increase recorded since the agency began tracking the figure in 1981.

…South Korea continues to have the lowest fertility rate in the world.

Beyond the low-birth rate, Korea’s faces other related issues: the population is rapidly shrinking, the cost of raising kids is soaring, a rapidly aging population is developing, youth are choosing not to marry, and government incentives to have kids have not made a difference yet.

Vocabulary:

Related topics Mothers and baby talk