South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years amid surge in marriages

Rise comes from very low base and remains far below the 2.1 births per woman needed to stabilise population

South Korea's birthrate rose last year for the first time in nine years, as a surge in marriages raised hopes that the country may be lifting itself out of its demographic crisis.

Preliminary data released by the government body Statistics Korea on Wednesday showed that the number of babies born per 1,000 people in 2024 stood at 4.7, the first rise since 2014.