Seoul, March 25
The proportion of South Koreans considering marriage essential increased last year, a government report showed on Tuesday.
The report reflects a more positive perception of marriage in a country struggling with a demographic crisis, news agency reported.
In a biennial social survey, 52.5 per cent of South Koreans aged 13 and older viewed marriage as a necessity in 2024, marking a 2.5 percentage-point increase from two years earlier.
The figure had been on a steady decline since 2010, except for a brief uptick in 2020.
The report also showed that 68.4 per cent of respondents said having children is necessary after marriage, up 3.1 percentage points from two years earlier.
Separate data showed that 222,422 couples tied the knot last year, a 14.9 per cent increase from the previous year, marking the steepest annual rise since the agency began compiling related statistics in 1981.
In 2024, the number of newborns increased for the first time in nine years. The total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime -- also rebounded, rising to 0.75 from 0.72 a year earlier.
The agency cited improving perceptions of marriage and parenthood among younger generations as contributing factors to the rise in childbirths.