Seoul, Jan 27 South Korea's birth rate is projected to have increased in 2024 for the first time in nine years but show significant regional differences, the statistics agency said on Monday.
The number of newborns between January and November reached 220,094, up 3 per cent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.
This follows a 7.7 per cent on-year drop in 2023, which extended the decline for an eighth consecutive year, Yonhap news agency reported.
The data revealed that the number of births in Seoul and other metropolitan areas has surpassed the previous year's figures, while other regions have seen relatively weaker growth. The number of births in Seoul maintained an upward trend throughout last year, except for slight dips in January and March.
Notably, the city recorded double-digit growth in births for three consecutive months starting in September. Similarly, Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital, also experienced double-digit growth in birth rates during the three months from September to November.
In contrast, the growth rates for North Chungcheong Province and the southern island of Jeju were comparatively modest, recording on-year increases of 3.1 per cent and 6 per cent in November, respectively.
The agency attributed the regional differences to the fact that newlyweds and people in their 20s and 30s tend to reside predominantly in metropolitan areas.
South Korea has long struggled with a declining birth rate as many young people opt to delay or forgo marriage and parenthood.
The country is expected to have the world's oldest demographic, with seniors making up 37.3 per cent of the population in 2045.
In December, government data showed the number of South Koreans aged 65 or older stood at 10.24 million, accounting for 20 per cent of the country's total population of 51.22 million.
In response, the government has introduced various policies to encourage marriage and support child-rearing, including benefits for newlyweds and expanded childcare assistance.
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