Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea rose nearly 6 percent in July compared to the previous year, attributed to a significant increase in marriages, as revealed by government data on Wednesday. A total of 21,803 babies were born in July, representing a 5.9 percent rise from the 20,580 babies born during the same month last year, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this increase marks the 13th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, although it remains the fourth-lowest figure for July since record-keeping began in 1981. Between January and July, a total of 147,804 babies were born, marking a 7.2 percent increase from the same period last year. This is the highest growth rate since the start of record-keeping and the first on-year increase in newborns for the January-July period since 2015.

The country's total fertility rate also showed a slight increase, rising by 0.04 to 0.8 in July compared to the previous year. An official at Statistics Korea attributed the rise in births to a consistent increase in marriages, supportive government policies, and the growing population of women in their early 30s. In South Korea, childbirth outside of marriage is uncommon, making the rise in marriages a precursor to increased birth rates.

The number of marriages in July increased by 8.4 percent year-on-year to 20,394, marking the 16th consecutive month of growth and the highest number for any July since 2016. South Korea has faced challenges with low birth rates due to economic issues and changing social attitudes, which have led many young people to delay or avoid marriage and parenthood. In response, the government has implemented measures such as financial support for marriage and child care to encourage higher birth rates.

In contrast, the number of deaths in July decreased by 0.7 percent from a year earlier, totaling 27,979, resulting in a natural population decline of 6,175. Additionally, the number of divorces fell by 1.4 percent year-on-year to 7,826 in July, as reported by the data.