South Korea marriage rates rebound as young people rethink family life

After dropping to 191,690 in 2022, marriages increased by 1% to 193,657 in 2023, before surging 14.8% to 222,412 in 2024, according to figures released recently by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, as reported by The Korea Herald.

Couple prepare for their performance at a mass wedding ceremony organised by the Unification Church at Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong on Feb. 7, 2020. Photo by AFP

Between January and October last year, 195,764 marriages were registered, representing an 8% rise compared with the same period a year earlier.

Even after factoring in pent-up demand from weddings postponed during the pandemic, the rebound represents the steepest growth in marriages in more than 30 years. The 14.8% increase is the largest since the government began compiling the data.

Wedding companies are also reporting the same trend. Local matchmaking agency Duo reported that the number of marriages it facilitated climbed to a record 1,192 in 2024.

The total has risen for four consecutive years after bottoming out at 854 in 2020.

"The perception of marriage and childbirth appears to be rebounding after reaching a low point," said Koo Jeong-woo, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University.

"Young people seem increasingly aware of the risks of living alone, including mental health concerns. Government support and broader social changes have also played a role."

Amid a plunge in fertility rates and population loss which have led to thousands of schools being shut down due to lack of students, the South Korean government has been making moves to encourage marriages and ease childcare burdens.

Local governments in South Korea are offering marriage incentives of up to 20 million won (US$14,560) to combat falling birth rates.

South Korea’s total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have, rose slightly to 0.75 in 2024 from 0.72 in 2023 but remained the lowest among developed nations. The ideal rate should be 2.1 to ensure sustainable population growth.

A survey last year by the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association showed that about 26.6% of unmarried women and 18% of unmarried men have no intention of getting married.