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Nurses take care of newborns at a Seoul-type Safe Postpartum Care Center in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. / Reporter Jeong Jae-hoon

The number of births and marriages in Seoul is showing steep growth.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 27th, the number of newborns in Seoul reached 45,516 last year in the 2025 Birth Statistics compiled by the National Data Agency, up 9.4% from the previous year. This marked the highest growth rate among the country's 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, continuing an upward trend for the second consecutive year.

The total fertility rate, defined as the average number of children expected to be born to a woman of childbearing age, stood at 0.63, successfully rebounding for two straight years after hitting an all-time low of 0.55 in 2023. In particular, Seoul's total fertility rate is demonstrating a rapid recovery pace, significantly exceeding government estimates each year.

This rebound trend is becoming even more pronounced this year. According to the demographic trends for June and the second quarter of this year released by the National Data Agency, the cumulative number of births in Seoul in the first half of this year totaled 26,924, surging 18.7% compared to the same period last year.

Marriages, a leading indicator of births, rose for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025 and increased 10.9% year-on-year in the first half of this year with 26,840 cases. Seoul recorded the highest growth rate among all 17 metropolitan cities and provinces in both births and marriages.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to establish an omnidirectional response system against low birth rates extending beyond pregnancy and childbirth support to child-rearing and family assistance, while expanding support for initiatives with high policy demand to enhance tangible benefits for citizens.

"The concurrent rise in births and marriages, which serve as a leading indicator of childbirth, shows that a virtuous cycle is distinctly emerging in Seoul, where the increase in new couples leads to the birth of new lives," said Ma Chae-sook, head of the Women and Family Affairs Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "To sustain this recent momentum over the long term, we will strengthen support not only for childbirth but also for childcare and families, building an all-encompassing response system against low birth rates."

                                                                                                           Park Se-young