SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - The number of women giving birth in their late 30s and 40s is on the rise, as more and more tie the knot later in life, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said on Thursday.
Childbirths among women in their late 30s increased for 11 consecutive months last year, rising an average of 5.1 percent from January through November, compared with the same period in 2024. Births to women in their 40s showed a similar trend.
Over the same period, childbirths among women in their early 30s slowed, declining for three months in the second half of the year.
The trend is widely attributed to later marriages, which are delaying women's first births. The average age at first marriage for women rose to 31.6 in 2024, up from 30.0 in 2015.
"With more women marrying later in life, the age of first-time mothers has been rising," the ministry said.
Childbirths among women in their late 30s increased for 11 consecutive months last year, rising an average of 5.1 percent from January through November, compared with the same period in 2024. Births to women in their 40s showed a similar trend.
Over the same period, childbirths among women in their early 30s slowed, declining for three months in the second half of the year.
The trend is widely attributed to later marriages, which are delaying women's first births. The average age at first marriage for women rose to 31.6 in 2024, up from 30.0 in 2015.
"With more women marrying later in life, the age of first-time mothers has been rising," the ministry said.
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