Seoul: The number of babies born in South Korea increased for the 16th consecutive month as of October, yet the pace of growth has slowed to the lowest level since the start of the year, according to recent government data.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 21,958 babies were born in October, marking a 2.5 percent increase from the previous year based on data compiled by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This continual rise began in July 2024, making it the 16th straight month of increase. However, it also represented the slowest on-year growth observed in 2025.

Cumulative childbirths through October reached 212,998, reflecting a 6.5 percent increase year-on-year. This rate signifies the highest growth pace for this period since 1991. Nonetheless, the total number of babies born over the 10-month span was the third lowest, following 2024 and 2023 figures.

The country's total fertility rate, indicating the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, rose by 0.02 on-year to 0.81. Women aged 30 to 34 recorded the highest birthrate among all age groups.

In terms of marital trends, the number of marriages in October reached 19,586, a slight rise of 0.2 percent from the previous year. The first 10 months of 2025 saw a total of 195,764 marriages, marking the highest number in seven years. If this trend continues, the Ministry anticipates that annual marriage numbers will increase for the third consecutive year.

Moreover, the number of divorces in October was recorded at 7,478, representing a 2.4 percent increase year-on-year. In contrast, the number of deaths in October was 29,739, a marginal decrease of 0.3 percent compared to last year.

Despite the rise in birth numbers, the overall population declined by 7,781 in October, as deaths outnumbered births. The South Korean population has been experiencing a downward trend since November 2019, as indicated by the data.