233,000 babies were born from January to November last year, nearly matching the 2024 annual figure

[The Financial News] From January to November last year, the number of newborns reached the 230,000 range, bringing it very close to the total number of births in 2024. If December is included, the annual number of births is expected to increase year-on-year for the second consecutive year. Attention is focused on whether the figure will surpass 250,000, a level that was broken in 2022.
According to the "Population Trends for November 2025" released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics (KOSTAT) on the 28th, the number of babies born in November last year was 20,710, up 3.1% from a year earlier. The number of births has been rising for 17 consecutive months since July 2024. Cumulative births from January to November last year totaled 233,708, an increase of 6.2% compared with the same period a year earlier. With the December tally still to come, the figure is already close to the 238,317 births recorded in 2024.
If the current trend continues, the number of babies born last year is expected to post year-on-year growth for the second year in a row. Whether it will break through the 250,000 mark is also drawing interest. The annual number of births fell below 250,000 in 2022, when 249,186 babies were born. If last year's births exceed 250,000, it would be the highest level in four years, since 260,562 births were recorded in 2021.
The total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, stood at 0.79, up 0.02 from a year earlier. By age group, women aged 30 to 34 accounted for the largest share of births. Growth in this age group is driving increases in both marriages and births. The total fertility rate for last year was 0.75, marking a rebound after nine years, and it is expected to rise for a second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, the number of marriages in November was 19,079, an increase of 498 cases, or 2.7%, from a year earlier. Marriages have been increasing for 20 consecutive months since April 2024. From January to November, there were 214,843 marriages in total, up 7.5% from the same period a year earlier, bringing the figure close to the 222,412 marriages recorded for all of 2024. If the current trend continues, the number of marriages is also expected to show positive year-on-year growth for three straight years starting in 2023.


junjun@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Yong-jun Reporter