THE nation’s capital Seoul’s fertility rate rose for a second consecutive year in 2025, while it also recorded the highest growth in both births and marriages among all major cities and provinces in the first half of 2026.
A total of 45,516 babies were born in Seoul in 2025, up 9.4% from 41,605 in 2024, according to the 2025 birth statistics, latest data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The increase was the largest among the country’s 16 major administrative regions.
The city’s total fertility rate increased to 0.63 in 2025. The figure has now risen for two consecutive years after hitting a record low of 0.55 in 2023. It stood at 0.58 in 2024.
The total fertility rate refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime.
South Korea’s total fertility rate in 2025 was 0.80, rising for the second straight year since marking an all-time low of 0.72 in 2023.
Marriages, considered a leading indicator of births, also continued to increase.
Seoul reported 26,840 marriages between January and June, up 10.9% on-year, also marking the highest among other cities and provinces.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributed the improvement partly to a series of measures aimed at easing the financial burden associated with pregnancy, childbirth and housing.
“The simultaneous rise in births and marriages shows that a virtuous circle is becoming increasingly evident in Seoul,” said an official from the city government’s Women and Family office. — The Korea Herald/ANN
