S. Korea's birth rate, the world's lowest, rises after 9 years

Number of marriages also increases, giving hope to nation facing population crisis

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SEOUL - South Koreans rejoiced on Feb 26 at news that the number of births had risen for the first time in about a decade - a rare bright spot for a country facing a deepening demographic decline.

South Korea's statistics office earlier in the day announced that the country's fertility rate, or the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, was 0.75 in 2024.

It is only a small uptick from the year before and still far below the figure of 2.1 needed to maintain South Korea's population of 51 million.

But approached by AFP on the bustling streets of Seoul, many saw the rising fertility rate for the first time since 2015 as a step in the right direction.

"The news of the birth rate rebounding after nine years is incredibly joyful for me," said 34-year-old office worker Jun Sangpill.