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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years amid surge in marriages

A South Korea woman with her baby on her lap.
The South Korean birthrate has risen for the first time in nine years. Photograph: Daewoung Kim/Reuters

South Korea’s birthrate rose last year for the first time in nine years, as a surge in marriages raised hopes that the country may be lifting itself out of its demographic crisis.

Preliminary data released by the government body Statistics Korea on Wednesday showed that the number of babies born per 1,000 people in 2024 stood at 4.7, the first rise since 2014.

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