Seoul births rise for 26th consecutive month, city leads nation in marriage growth: Oh

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met Wednesday afternoon with Kim Jin-o, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, at his office in Seoul City Hall. The two discussed responses to demographic shifts — including the low birth rate and aging population — shared the results of Seoul's related policies, and explored ways to strengthen cooperation between the central and local governments.

"It is very welcome news that birth rates are rebounding nationwide," Oh said. "In Seoul, the number of births has increased for 26 consecutive months since April 2024, and both the birth count and the marriage rate growth rank first in the country." He added that Seoul's total fertility rate has consistently exceeded the government's population projections — which account for the echo-boom generation — and is recovering faster than expected, calling the trend "very encouraging." Oh said the city would broaden its policy scope beyond childbirth, housing and childcare to encompass children's development and family-friendly environments, to ensure the rebound does not prove temporary.

Oh also said that because the low birth rate and aging population are national challenges that local governments cannot address alone, he urged the central government to provide institutional and fiscal support so that policies first piloted in Seoul — and proven effective — can be adopted at the national level.

Seoul recorded 22,574 births in the January–May period this year, up 18.0 percent from the same period a year earlier. Marriages over the same period totaled 22,396, an increase of 11.1 percent. The city's total fertility rate has also been climbing steadily — from 0.55 in 2023 to 0.58 in 2024, 0.63 in 2025, and 0.77 in the first quarter of this year.

Seoul has supported pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing since 2022 through its Birth Cheer Seoul Project. The program expanded on the "Happy Mom and Dad Project" announced by Mayor Oh in 2022, extending its reach to prospective parents including young adults, newlywed couples and couples undergoing fertility treatment.