Seoul Invests 8.2 Trillion Won Over Four Years to Tackle Low Birth Rate; Total Fertility Rate Rebounds to 0.75

[Financial News] After investing about 8.2 trillion won in low-birth-rate policies over the past four years, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is moving ahead with the ‘Seoul Child Companion Project,’ expanding support from childbirth to childrearing and housing. On the 10th, the city held a ‘Low Birth Rate Policy Results Sharing’ event at Seoul Gallery, attended by Mayor Oh Se-hoon and residents who have benefited from the policies, and announced the results of the past four years and the direction of its low-birth-rate policies for the ninth popularly elected administration.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul’s total fertility rate rose from 0.55 in 2023 to 0.58 in 2024 and 0.63 last year, before reaching 0.75 in the first half of this year (provisional). However, the first-half figure covers a different period from the annual total fertility rate, so direct comparisons should be made with caution.
The numbers of births and marriages also increased faster than the national averages. From January to August this year, the number of births in Seoul rose 17.6% from the same period last year, exceeding the national increase of 14.5%. The number of marriages also rose 11.9%, more than twice the national average of 5.2%. Both indicators recorded the highest growth rates among the nation’s 17 cities and provinces.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has gradually expanded its low-birth-rate policies, beginning with the ‘Happy Parents Project’ in 2022 and continuing with the ‘Seoul Project for Celebrating New Births’ in 2024. The budget allocated over the past four years totaled about 8.2 trillion won, and the cumulative number of policy beneficiaries reached about 8 million.
Among the major programs, about 32,000 children were born with support for infertility treatment costs from 2022 through September this year. The cumulative number of users of Seoul Kids Cafes exceeded 2.52 million, while 7,108 units of ‘Mirinae House,’ a long-term public rental housing program for newlyweds, were supplied from 2024 through September this year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding these policies through the ‘Seoul Child Companion Project’ under the ninth popularly elected administration. The key is to broaden support, previously focused on pregnancy and childbirth, to encompass children’s growth and the lives of families as a whole. A total of 111 programs will be implemented across three areas: birth support (21 programs), childrearing support (58) and family support (32).
First, the city will increase the number of Seoul Kids Cafes from the current 240 to 430 by 2030. It will also establish at least eight ‘Seoul Children’s Imagination Lands,’ where visitors can experience artificial intelligence (AI) and future careers. The first facility is scheduled to open in Gangbuk District in the first half of next year.
Housing support for newlyweds will also be expanded. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to supply an additional 17,500 Mirinae House units by 2030 and continue housing cost support for households without a home of their own that have given birth to a child.
In the area of care, the ‘Seoul Kids’ Hearty Meal’ program, which provides meals to children during school vacations, will expand to 243 facilities starting this December and provide dinner as well as lunch. The Seoul Grandchild Care Allowance will be extended to more eligible recipients, and support for grandparents’ healthcare costs will be newly introduced.
Mayor Oh said, “We will continue to strengthen support for pregnancy and childbirth and carefully attend to children’s healthy growth and the happiness of the whole family.” He added, “Through the ‘Seoul Child Companion Project,’ we will make Seoul a place where children can grow up happily and parents can raise them with peace of mind.”
[email protected] Sung Cho-rong Reporter