In May, the number of births increased by more than 20,000 compared to the previous year, continuing a 23-month upward trend. However, the number of marriages, a leading indicator of birth rates, has declined for the first time in three months, while the overall population continues to decrease compared to last year, remaining in a state of natural decline.
According to the National Data Agency's 'Population Trends for May 2026,' the number of births in May reached 23,160, an increase of 2,781 (13.6%) from the same period last year. The birth rate has not recovered to the early-year levels since recording 26,916 births in January.
All provinces, except Jeju, saw an increase in the number of births compared to the same month last year. The total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, rose to 0.85, up 0.10 from May of the previous year.
In terms of birth order, the proportion of firstborns increased by 1.3 percentage points, while the proportions of second and third or higher-order births decreased by 0.2 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points, respectively.
The number of deaths in May was recorded at 29,573, an increase of 1,091 (3.8%) from the same month last year. Deaths rose in 14 provinces, including Seoul and Busan, while Gwangju, Chungbuk, and Jeonbuk saw a decline.
As a result, the overall population has experienced 79 consecutive months of natural decline since November 2019, with a decrease of 6,413 people recorded in May alone. Natural decline occurred in 14 provinces, excluding Ulsan, Sejong, and Gyeonggi.
The number of marriages, considered a leading indicator of birth rates, also turned downward after three months. In May, the number of marriages was 20,368, a decrease of 1,392 (-6.4%) compared to the same month last year. All provinces, except Incheon, reported a decline in marriage numbers compared to the previous year.
During the same period, the number of divorces decreased by 290 (-3.9%) to 7,122. Divorces increased in nine provinces, including Incheon and Seoul, while eight provinces, including Gyeonggi and Busan, saw a decrease.
Last month, the number of movers was 481,000, an increase of 3,000 (0.6%) from the previous year. Among the total movers, 65.9% moved within the same province, while 34.1% moved between provinces. The migration rate, which indicates the number of movers per 100 people, was 11.5%, up 0.1 percentage points from the same period last year.
Net migration, calculated by subtracting outflows from inflows, was highest in Gyeonggi Province with 5,161 people, followed by Incheon with 2,229 and Chungbuk with 863. In contrast, Seoul experienced a net outflow of 5,697 people, with Busan (-1,149) and Daegu (-822) also reporting net outflows.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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