Seoul injected billions of pounds into programmes to encourage women to have children
South Korea recorded the highest birth rate in more than a decade in May, as a government push for women to have more children shows early signs of success.
A total of 20,309 babies were born in May, an increase of nearly 4 per cent from the year before and the sharpest increase in births since May 2011.
The country has one of the lowest birth rates and longest life expectancies, which has prompted the government and private companies to inject billions of pounds into programmes that encourage women to have more children.
The South Korean government offers cash subsidies, babysitting services and support for infertility treatment, while some companies even offer dating programmes to bring people together.
“The number of newborns for the January-May period stood at 106,048, a 6.9 per cent increase, the highest growth rate since such data collection began in 1981,” said an official at Statistics Korea, which released the data.
Surge in marriages
The recent surge in the number of births follows a similar increase in the number of marriages.
“The rise in births appears to be influenced by a continued increase in marriages and the growth in the population of women in their early 30s,” the Statistics Korea official said.
“In South Korea, there is a strong correlation between marriage and childbirth, which has driven the increase in births during the first five months.”
