The birth rate has rebounded in nine years... Total fertility rate to be 0.74 by September

178,000 people born between January and September...Total fertility rate of 0.74
National Statistical Office "Positive...The total fertility rate is expected to be 0.74 this year"
Continued to fall after 1.25 in 2015...Expected to rebound for the first time in nine years
"An increase in marriage, an increase in women in their 30s, and the impact of low birth rate measures"

[Anchor]
Baby cries have grown this year, and the number of babies born has exceeded 20,000 for the last three months in a row.

By last September, the total fertility rate was 0.74,

This is the first rebound in nine years.

Lee Seung-eun, I'll connect with you to find out more about the news.

[Reporter]
Yes, the National Statistical Office's September population trend came out today.

The number of births in September was 25,590, exceeding 20,000 for three consecutive months.

As a result, the total fertility rate in the third quarter rose back to the level of the first quarter to 0.76.

In addition, the total fertility rate recorded 0.74 by September this year.

There were 178,600 babies born in September this year, the highest in nine years since 2015.

The National Statistical Office initially predicted that the total annual fertility rate this year would be 0.68, which would break the all-time record of 0.72 last year.

Today, the fertility trend has turned positive and the annual total fertility rate is likely to be 0.74, it said.

The fertility rate, which had only fallen since 1.24 in 2015, is rebounding for the first time in nine years.

Statistics Korea believes that marriage has increased significantly since August 2022 after the COVID-19 crisis, the increase in the number of women in their 30s, and the government's measures to reduce the birth rate have changed the trend.

The number of marriages in the third quarter also increased by 24% from a year ago, the largest increase since statistics were compiled in 1981.

By September this year, the number of cumulative marriages increased 12.8% to 161,771, the highest increase since related statistics.

I'm Lee Seung Eun of YTN.

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video: Han Soo-min
Design: Jung Eun-ok