Korea Fertility Rate
Total fertility rate SP.DYN.TFRT.IN
Korea's fertility rate was 0.63 in 2025, ranked 214th globally. This represents a 12.5% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Korea's fertility rate stood at 0.63 in 2025, a decline of +0.09 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.63 by 2025. Korea ranked 214th globally.
South Korea’s total fertility rate has fallen dramatically from an all‑time peak of 5.99 in 1960 to a historic trough of 0.63 in 2025, placing the country 214th worldwide among 236 reporting nations. The 65‑year decline reflects rapid urbanisation, rising female education, and the diffusion of costly housing and childcare in a highly industrialised economy. By contrast, China’s 2025 rate of 0.70 and Ukraine’s 0.77 illustrate that even other East Asian and post‑communist societies remain slightly above South Korea’s level, while Hong Kong SAR’s 0.51 and Macao SAR’s 0.44 show the region’s broader demographic squeeze. Persistent low birth rates have strained the labour market, heightened dependency ratios and pressured pension systems, prompting policy experiments such as expanded parental leave and child‑care subsidies. Continued reforms aimed at reducing the cost of childrearing and improving work‑life balance will be critical if South Korea hopes to reverse the current downward trajectory.
Data & projection
| Year | Fertility Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 0.59 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.63 | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.63 | −0.09 | #214 |
| 2023 | 0.72 | −0.06 | #2 |
| 2022 | 0.78 | −0.03 | #3 |
| 2021 | 0.81 | −0.03 | #3 |
| 2020 | 0.84 | −0.08 | #1 |
| 2019 | 0.92 | −0.06 | #2 |
| 2018 | 0.98 | −0.08 | #3 |
| 2017 | 1.05 | −0.12 | #3 |
| 2016 | 1.17 | −0.07 | #4 |
| 2015 | 1.24 | +0.03 | #6 |
| 2014 | 1.21 | +0.02 | #2 |
| 2013 | 1.19 | −0.11 | #5 |
| 2012 | 1.30 | +0.05 | #8 |
| 2011 | 1.24 | +0.02 | #6 |
| 2010 | 1.23 | +0.08 | #5 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Korea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2006. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw fertility rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's fertility rate was 0.63 in 2025. Ranked 214th globally. This represents a 12.5% decrease from the previous year.
Korea's fertility rate peaked at 5.99 in 1960.
The lowest fertility rate in Korea was 0.63 in 2025.
Korea ranks 214th globally in fertility rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SP.DYN.TFRT.IN. Data sourced from World Bank.
Korea's fertility rate is projected to reach 0.63 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The fertility rate of Korea in 2025 was 0.63. This ranks 214th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_korea_fertility-rate,
title = {Korea Fertility Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/fertility-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}