South Korea Birth Rate Hits 15-Year High Following Marriage Surge

South Korea reported its strongest birth rate increase in 15 years as the total fertility rate reached 0.80 during 2025.Government official Park Hyun-jeong and the Data and Statistics Dept cited a surge in marriages and billions in investment as key drivers.While births increased by over 6%, the nation and neighbors like Japan and China still face population declines as deaths outpace new arrivals.