South Korea’s total fertility rate rose to a four-year high in 2025, supported by continued growth in the number of births, government data showed on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime increased by 0.05 year-on-year to 0.80 in 2025.

The figure marks the highest level since 2021, when the rate stood at 0.81.

The fertility rate had declined sharply from 1.24 in 2015 to a record low of 0.72 in 2023 before edging up to 0.75 in 2024.

However, it remained well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain population stability.

The number of newborns rose 6.8 per cent from a year earlier to 254,500 in 2025, following a 3.6 per cent increase in 2024.

Births had previously fallen for eight consecutive years through 2023.

Meanwhile, deaths increased 1.3 per cent year-on-year to 363,400 in 2025.

With deaths continuing to outnumber births, the country recorded a natural population decline of 108,900, marking the sixth consecutive year of natural decrease since 2020.

(Xinhua/NAN)