Why Has Gangnam-gu Seen Rising Births for 3 Consecutive Years?

Gangnam-gu is the only one of Seoul's 25 autonomous districts to have recorded double-digit birth increases for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025, averaging 13.3% annual growth.

The district registered 1,629 births in the first half of 2026, a 13.2% increase from the same period a year earlier.

The district attributes the trend to a comprehensive set of policies covering every stage of pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing — from early financial support and closing gaps in childcare coverage to providing high-quality daycare services — which it says have helped create a birth-friendly environment.

Gangnam-gu offers the highest childbirth and parenting subsidies in Seoul. Families with a firstborn receive benefits worth a total of 7.9 million won ($5,870) in the first month, combining district, city and national support.

The district runs a range of maternal and child health programs, including fertility treatment subsidies with no income threshold. To ease the financial burden on families with newborns, it pays a childbirth and parenting grant of 2 million won for a first or second child, 3 million won for a third child, and 5 million won for a fourth child or beyond. The 2 million won grant for first and second children is the highest among Seoul's autonomous districts. When combined with national and Seoul Metropolitan Government support, a family welcoming their first child can receive benefits worth a total of 7.9 million won in the first month after birth.

The district introduced a paternity leave incentive for the first time in 2026.

This year, Gangnam-gu launched a paternity leave incentive program to encourage fathers to take part in child-rearing and help families balance work and family life. Eligible fathers on parental leave receive 300,000 won per month for up to one year. Through August, the district had paid out a total of 176.3 million won to 306 recipients.

The district has also stepped up childcare support for families. Its home childcare aide service, which sends trained aides to households facing childcare gaps, secured a budget of 12.2 billion won this year — the highest among Seoul's autonomous districts — and has enlisted more than 250 childcare aides.

Beyond the government's standard eligibility threshold of households earning up to 250 percent of the median income, Gangnam-gu provides an additional subsidy covering 50 to 100 percent of out-of-pocket costs for all user households regardless of income level.

The district is also expanding part-time childcare for infants and toddlers not enrolled in daycare centers. It currently operates seven part-time childcare rooms across daycare centers and comprehensive childcare support centers. Four of these — at the Daechi, Suseo, Nonhyeon and Samsung comprehensive childcare support centers — operate under the Gangnam-gu model, with fees fully covered by the district budget, making them free of charge. The district plans to gradually expand the number of part-time childcare providers to 10 facilities between 2027 and 2030, in line with local demand.

The district has also continued to expand the Gangnam Children's Center, public indoor playgrounds and Seoul-type kids' cafes, ensuring that parents and children can access a wide range of play, education and childcare services throughout their neighborhoods.

"Three consecutive years of steady birth increases are a meaningful signal that Gangnam-gu is establishing itself as a city where people want to have and raise children," District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said. "We will continue to proactively roll out policies that provide real, tangible support to every family raising a child — from pregnancy and childbirth through to child-rearing and care."