South Korea sees brief birth surge as government readies new population strategy

In July, South Korea registered 24,275 births, an 11.1% increase from the previous year and the strongest July figure in seven years, alongside 22,282 marriages, the highest in 11 years. This uptick is largely driven by postponed marriages catching up and the entry of the 1991-1995 "second echo-boom" cohort into their prime child-bearing ages, especially women aged 30-34 and 35-39. On September 10, the Committee on Low Birth Rates and Aging Society was renamed the Population Strategy Committee, now spanning 15 central ministries and gaining pre-budget consultation authority, with a national strategy due later this year and budget reviews starting in 2027.

Critics argue that past programs have failed to alter household incentives, pointing to costly private tutoring and competitive education pressures that divert resources from larger families. Without addressing these structural issues, financial support is unlikely to reverse the long-term decline, as fertility remains far below the replacement level of 2.1.