South Korea Birth Rate Rebounds: Echo Boomers Drive Surge

South Korea's birthrate saw a significant increase in 2025, recording 254,500 births, the highest annual figure in 15 years. This 6.8% rise marks the second consecutive year of growth, with the fertility rate climbing to 0.80. The rebound is primarily driven by the "echo boomer" demographic, a generation born between 1991 and 1995, who are now in their early thirties.

This demographic tailwind, combined with a recovery in marriage rates post-Covid and improving attitudes towards childbearing, contributed to the surge. Government survey data indicates an increase in respondents intending to have children and a rise in births within the first two years of marriage. However, demographers anticipate this boost will be temporary, fading from 2027 as smaller cohorts enter their thirties.

Despite these positive trends, deaths continued to outnumber births by 108,900 in 2025, resulting in an overall population shrinkage. South Korea remains the only OECD country with a fertility rate below 1.0. Experts cite persistent high housing costs, educational expenses, and workplace stigma as ongoing challenges, even as the nation has invested heavily in pro-natal policies.