Korea recorded its highest number of newborns in four years in 2025, with the total fertility rate rising from 0.7 to 0.8 for the first time since 2021, government data showed Wednesday. Data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed a total of 254,457 babies born in 2025. The figure marked the highest level since 2021, when 260,562 newborns were reported. The number of newborns had dropped to 249,186 in 2022, 230,028 in 2023 and 238,317 in 2024. The rebound marks a turnaround in the trend of persistently low birthrates, which has exacerbated the challenges associated with an aging society. The number of newborns in 2025 rose by 16,140 from a year earlier, marking the second consecutive year of year-on-year increase, following a rise of 8,289 in 2024. In particular, the year-on-year change in 2025 represented the biggest increase since 2015, when the number of newborns rose by 35,332. The number of births in 2025 was led by women in their 30s, with those aged 30 to 34 recording 73.2 births per 1,000 women and those aged 35 to 39 at 52 births per 1,000. Those in their 20s saw l