Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea surged 18 percent in April compared to the previous year, marking the highest level in seven years, government data revealed on Wednesday. A total of 24,521 babies were born in April, a significant increase from 20,787 the previous year, as reported by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This figure represents the highest for any April since 2019 when 26,104 babies were recorded.

According to Yonhap News Agency, during the January-April period, the total number of births reached 99,534, setting another seven-year record with a 15.5 percent increase from the previous year. This growth rate set records for both the month of April and the January-April period.

The country's total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, increased by 0.13 from the previous year to 0.93 in April. Despite this upward trend in births since July 2024, the rate remains below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

Experts link the rise in childbirths to an increase in marriages and a more positive perception of childbirth. The number of marriages in April rose 9 percent from the previous year to 20,622, also the highest figure since 22,844 marriages were recorded in April 2016. Meanwhile, the number of divorces increased 7.3 percent from a year earlier, reaching 7,829.

The data also indicated a decline in the number of deaths by 1.3 percent from the previous year, totaling 28,405, which resulted in a natural population decline of 3,884.