Births rise for 8th month, marriages see double-digit growth in Feb.

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More babies were born in Korea this past February on year maintaining a promising upward trend for the eighth month in a row.

Shin Se-byuck covers the latest findings.

South Korea reported a rise in the number of newborns for the eighth consecutive month in February.

According to Statistics Korea's data on Wednesday,

a total of 20-thousand-35 babies were born in February 2025, a 3-point-2 percent increase from the same month last year.

This marks the first time in 11 years that the number of births in February has gone up compared to the previous year.

But the pace of growth slowed from January, when the country recorded its highest childbirth growth in recent years at 11-point-6 percent.

The country's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, also saw a slight on-year increase.

It came in at point-8-2, up point-0-5 from a year earlier, with gains seen across all age groups, from women aged 24 and under, to those in their 40s and beyond.

The number of marriages also continued to climb, with 19-thousand-370 couples tying the knot in February, marking a 14-point-3 percent on-year increase and the 11th straight month of growth the longest upward streak since records began.

Meanwhile, the number of divorces dipped slightly, down point-1 percent from a year earlier.

Despite the positive signs in the number of newborns and marriages, one expert cautioned that the recent uptick may be a short-term trend, driven more by demographic timing than a fundamental shift.

"We're seeing postponed births from the pandemic now taking place, and a large cohort of people currently in their prime age for marriage and childbirth. But that doesn't mean today's young generation is more inclined to get married or have children. So it's too soon to say this is a true upward trend."

He added that fundamental issues like soaring housing costs, job insecurity, and the high cost of private education must be tackled to see lasting change.

Meanwhile, despite the rise in births and marriages, the country still recorded a natural population decline.

With 30-thousand-283 deaths reported in February, a 1-point-3 percent increase on-year, the population shrank by 10-thousand-248.

Shin Se-byuck, Arirang News.