[News Today] March childbirths up, first in decade

[LEAD]
There are small but steady signs hinting at a turnaround in South Korea's bleak low birth rate trend. The number of monthly births has been rising for nine straight months, with March marking the first year-on-year increase in newborns in a decade.

[REPORT]
At this general hospital in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province, newborn babies wait to get their vaccination.

The number of infants born at this hospital this year increased more than 10% from the previous year.

Subsequently, the number of babies visiting the pediatric department also rose.

Parent of a newborn /
She was born just 20 days ago. She is here for a BCG shot.

As of this March, newborn babies numbered 21,000, up 1,300 or 6.8% from last year.

Compared to the same month a year earlier, the number of newborns in March continued to decline since 2015, but rebounded for the first time in ten years.

The number rose 7.4% even when the statistics period was extended to the first quarter of this year. It was a record increase rate for the first quarter.

The increase in childbirths is driven by more number of marriages.

A lot more people are getting married because of an increase in the early 30s population and a rush of weddings postponed during the pandemic.

The number of marriages has also been rising for five quarters straight since the first quarter of last year.

Park Hyeon-jeong / Statistics Korea
In South Korea, marriages have a lot to do with childbirths, so the number of newborns is likely to keep rising for some time.

There's also indications of shifting perspectives on marriage and childbirth.

A recent survey shows that the percentage of people who view marriage positively rose 2% points over the last year and those who view the need for a child as necessary was up by 9.8% points.

Jo Jae-gyeong / Incheon resident
A lot of people around me are trying to have babies because of many gov't help.

The total fertility rate in the first quarter stands at 0.82 babies, rebounding above 0.8 for the first time in two years.