The number of newborns in August rose nearly six percent year-on-year, continuing a two-month streak of increase.

According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, 20-thousand-98 babies were born in August, up five-point-nine percent compared to a year earlier. The latest on-year gain is the highest for the month in 14 years.

The monthly tally, which fell on-year for 18 straight months since October 2022, posted an on-year gain in the two-percent range in April and May this year. After a slight drop in June, the July count jumped seven-point-nine percent on-year.

The cumulative number of newborns between January and August this year fell zero-point-four percent from a year ago.

The crude birth rate, which is the annual number of live births per one-thousand population, rose zero-point-three on-year in August to four-point-six.

The number of marriages, considered a leading indicator of births, increased by a record margin of 20 percent for the month to 17-thousand-527, with an official from the state agency citing a base effect from last year and a rise in population among people in their early 30s.
 
The number of deaths in August rose five-point-six percent to 32-thousand-244, resulting in a natural population decline of 12-thousand-146.