JINJU, South Korea — Jinju city in South Gyeongsang Province has seen its total fertility rate rebound to above 1.0 for the first time in six years.
The city announced Wednesday that its provisional total fertility rate for 2025 reached 1.01, up from 0.912 in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of increase. The figure significantly exceeds the national average of 0.80 and the provincial average of 0.88.
The total fertility rate represents the average number of children a woman of childbearing age (15-49) is expected to have in her lifetime. It serves as a key indicator for gauging regional demographic structure and future population size. The recovery to the 1.0 level is seen as a turning point toward demographic stabilization, beyond mere numerical improvement.
Marriage registrations have also shown a clear upward trend. Provisional marriage registrations for 2025 totaled 1,384, up approximately 19.5% from 1,158 in 2023. Births reached a provisional 1,900 in 2025, rising 14% from 1,666 in 2023, marking two consecutive years of growth.
City officials attribute the results to comprehensive support policies covering the entire cycle of marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth. The city is implementing 315 population policy programs across six areas, including marriage and childbirth celebration grants, fertility treatment subsidies for couples struggling with infertility, pre-pregnancy health management support, and newborn care packages.
The city's policy providing full coverage of out-of-pocket costs for fertility treatments — the first of its kind nationwide — stands out as a signature achievement. The program has helped improve access to fertility treatments and increase pregnancy success rates by easing financial burdens.
In 2025, babies born through fertility treatments accounted for approximately 15% of all births — roughly one in seven newborns.
Youth population indicators are also encouraging. The city continues to support young residents through programs including welfare subsidies for youth employed at small and medium-sized enterprises, certification exam fee support, university student administrative internships, and startup support center operations. As of 2025, Jinju's youth population ratio stands at 24.86%, maintaining the top position among cities and counties in South Gyeongsang Province since 2023.
"We will further expand our marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth support initiatives to increase marriages and raise the fertility rate," a city official said. "We will continue working to create an urban environment where young people want to stay and raise children."