Signal Seoul's fertility rate of 0.58 was Korea's lowest in 2024 as regional gaps weigh on births

Summary

The strategy reports a total fertility rate of 0.75 for Korea in 2024 and 0.58 for Seoul, the lowest of any region. It cites Bank of Korea research from 2023 finding that population density and fertility across provinces move in opposite directions. Research by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs is cited as showing that births increase when both spouses work in stable jobs. Another study from the same institute found that a wife working at a firm with fewer than thirty employees lowers births. The government uses these findings to argue that regional concentration and precarious employment depress fertility and in turn potential growth.