In 2024, the birth rate in South Korea stood at 0.75 births per woman. The country has long struggled with a declining birth rate, dropping below one birth per woman in 2018.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in children per woman in South Korea stood at 0.72. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 5.27, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the Republic of Korea (SPDYNTFRTINKOR) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, Korea, and rate.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in South Korea's capital Seoul stood at about **** children per woman. The fertility rate in Seoul has declined sharply over the past decade.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Korea Fertility Rate Total Births Per Woman

In 2023, the total fertility rate in Incheon, South Korea was about **** children per woman. The fertility rate in Incheon has steadily declined over the past few years. The total fertility rate among South Korea's population amounted to about **** children per woman that year.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Korea Birth Rate Crude Per 1 000 People

In 2023, the total fertility rate in Ulsan, South Korea was about **** children per woman. The fertility rate in Ulsan has steadily declined over the past few years. The total fertility rate among South Korea's population amounted to about **** children per woman that year.

In 1900, the fertility rate in the region of present-day South Korea was six children per woman, meaning that the average woman born in South Korea in that year could expect to have six children over the course of their reproductive years. This number began to fluctuate in the 1930s, when the Japanese administration (the Korean peninsula had been annexed by Japan in 1910) promoted fertility as part of the war effort, before fertility dropped below 5.2 births per woman in the aftermath of the war. It then increased above 6.3 in the 1950s due to the devastation and mass-displacement caused by the Korean War. As stability returned to the region, South Korea's fertility rate would fall sharply throughout the remainder of the century, as modernization, urbanization, and the implementation of family planning programs would see fertility fall to just over 1.5 children per woman by 1990.

Sex-selective abortion and gender ratios Abortion was illegal in South Korea between 1953 and 2020, although it was permitted in some cases from 1973 onward. Despite this, these laws were rarely enforced, and sex-selective abortion became widespread following advancements in ultrasound technology. In many Asian societies, it was often preferred to have male children as they were viewed as being better long-term providers for their parents and they would carry on the family name. In South Korea in the early 1990s, the practice of sex-selective abortion became so widespread that the gender ratio at birth was 114 males for every 100 females (reportedly as high as 125 in some cities), compared to the historical and natural average of approximately 105 males per 100 females. The government then prohibited doctors from revealing the gender of unborn babies to the parents in 1987, and introduced more severe penalties in 1994, in an attempt to revert this trend. The gender imbalance then reduced in the following decades, and has been at 106 males per 100 females since the 2010s (roughly the natural average). Abortion rights in South Korea were expanded in 2021.

Lowest in the world? Despite government initiatives aimed at increasing fertility, including financial incentives, South Korea's fertility rate has continued to fall in recent years, and today is at around half of replacement level. In 2020, it is estimated that the average woman born in South Korea will have just over one child over the course of their reproductive years. Some critics cite economic factors, such as high education and housing costs, for the reason that young couples are postponing marriage and having families; today, South Korea has the lowest adolescent fertility rate, and the lowest overall fertility rate in the Asia Pacific region. Due to the current trajectory of South Korea's fertility rate, in January 2021, it was announced that the South Korean population experienced a natural decline for the first time in it's history.

South Korea: The number of crude births per 1000 people, per year: The latest value from 2023 is 4.5 births per 1000 people, a decline from 4.9 births per 1000 people in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 17.86 births per 1000 people, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for South Korea from 1960 to 2023 is 17.92 births per 1000 people. The minimum value, 4.5 births per 1000 people, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 42.07 births per 1000 people was recorded in 1960.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for the Republic of Korea (SPDYNCBRTINKOR) from 1960 to 2023 about birth, Korea, crude, and rate.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang Province), South Korea was about **** children per woman. The fertility rate in Gyeongbuk has steadily declined over the past few years. The total fertility rate among South Korea's population amounted to about **** children per woman that year.

North Korea Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 1.780 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.800 Person for 2022. North Korea Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.910 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.390 Person in 1990 and a record low of 1.780 Person in 2023. North Korea Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) in North Korea was reported at 0.512 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in Daejeon, South Korea was about **** children per woman. The fertility rate in Daejeon has steadily declined over the past few years. The total fertility rate among South Korea's population amounted to about **** children per woman that year.

In 2024, the number of births in South Korea stood at *******, a slight increase compared to the previous year. Around two decades earlier, this number was twice as high. Declining fertility in South Korea A phenomenon that most East Asian countries and territories grapple with is a stark decline in fertility rates. This is especially evident in South Korea, which has the lowest fertility rate in the world, far below the 2.1 children per woman threshold that represents replacement fertility. In response to the expected economic consequences of a declining population, South Korea has implemented various initiatives to encourage married couples to have children. Factors contributing to low birth rates in South Korea One major element is the societal change in attitudes toward childbirth. In a survey, half of the South Korean respondents asserted that marriages can be happy without children, and a sizable share also stated that having children was dependent on economic factors. In addition, an increasing number of South Koreans are choosing not to get married. In 2023, South Korea recorded one of the lowest numbers of marriages in its history. Furthermore, there has been a growing trend among South Korean women to prioritize their financial independence and career continuity over traditional expectations of childbearing.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in North Korea was reported at 12.95 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

United States - Crude Birth Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was 12.94700 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Birth Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea reached a record high of 37.77400 in January of 1968 and a record low of 12.94700 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Birth Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 26 countries was 1.72 births per woman. The highest value was in Pakistan: 3.66 births per woman and the lowest value was in South Korea: 0.78 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic Fertility_Rate. Indicator Definition:Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.Indicator Unit:The statistic is measured in Births Per Woman.Descriptive Statistics regarding the Indicator "Fertility Rate":The number of countries with data stands at: 210 countries.The average value across those countries stands at: 2.37.The standard deviation across those countries stands at: 1.19.The lowest value stands at: 0.586, and was observed in Macao SAR, China, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks last.The highest value stands at: 6.12, and was observed in Chad, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks first.Looking at countries with values, the top 5 countries are:1. Chad, actual value 6.12, actual ranking 1.2. Niger, actual value 6.06, actual ranking 2.3. Congo, Dem. Rep., actual value 6.05, actual ranking 3.4. Central African Republic, actual value 6.01, actual ranking 4.5. Mali, actual value 5.61, actual ranking 5.Looking at countries with values, the bottom 5 countries are:1. Macao SAR, China, actual value 0.586, actual ranking 210.2. Korea, Rep., actual value 0.721, actual ranking 209.3. Hong Kong SAR, China, actual value 0.751, actual ranking 208.4. Singapore, actual value 0.97, actual ranking 207.5. Ukraine, actual value 0.977, actual ranking 206.