Births in July post largest spike in 12 years as marriages continue to trend upward

Births in July came to 20,601, jumping 7.9 percent on year for the biggest jump for the month since 2012.

Postnatal caregivers take care of newborns at a center in Seoul. [YONHAP]

Births in July posted the largest increase in 12 years with a nearly 8 percent on-year jump, according to a report by Statistics Korea on Wednesday.

The number of births in July stood at 20,601, a 7.9 percent jump compared to the same month last year. This marks a reversal from the previous month, when the number of births decreased by 343, or 1.8 percent. The increase in July was the largest over a preceding year since 2012, when there was an on-year surge of 1,959 more births, and the highest growth rate since July 2007 when it increased by 12.4 percent.

It also marks the first time in six months that the number of births has risen above 20,000, last surpassing the threshold in January, when 21,442 babies were born.

Statistics Korea has attributed the recent surge in births primarily to an upward trend in marriages, which rose significantly on year in July.

The number of marriages in the month reached 18,811, marking the highest July figure since the agency began tracking monthly marriage data in 1981 and, at a substantial 32.9 percent increase, the second largest on-year expansion for a month since January 1996, which saw a whopping 50.6 percent surge.

Marriage registrations have posted a positive trend for four consecutive months from April. From January to July, the cumulative number of marriages reached 128,876 to post an 11.2 percent increase of 13,028 couples compared to the same period in the previous year, a trend that would indicate a continued shift toward a recovery in the birthrate.

“This uptick in births and marriages is attributable to newly married couples, particularly those in their early 30s, who carried out wedding plans that had previously been postponed due to factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the Statistics Korea report.

The agency also predicts that the total fertility rate this year is likely to be higher than the initial forecast of 0.68 births per woman.

“Assuming the number of births remains the same as last year after July, the total fertility rate for this year is expected to be around 0.7,” said a Statistics Korea spokesperson. The agency had previously predicted that the total fertility rate would decline further this year from the previous year's 0.72.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]