Overview

• NABO estimates about 304,000 expected deliveries in 2025, up roughly 21,000 from 2024, a 7.2–7.4 percent increase.
• Based on NHIS pregnancy‑benefit applications that historically yield about 82 percent live births, NABO says the number of babies could rise by as many as about 20,000 this year if the trend persists.
• Women aged 30–34 lead the rise in expectant mothers (about 143,000), with sizable gains among those 35–39 and a smaller uptick for 25–29.
• The rebound is concentrated among workplace‑insured women, whose delivery‑related fertility rate in 2024 was 0.75 versus 0.57 for the self‑employed and 0.31 for medical‑aid recipients, prompting calls for broader support.
• Statistics Korea reports June births rose 9.4 percent year on year to 19,953, the 12th straight monthly increase, with marriages up 9.1 percent and the monthly total fertility rate at 0.76.