Koreans’ willingness to ‘give birth’ spikes, but more among men than women



Briefings Koreans’ willingness to ‘give birth’ spikes, but more among men than women Unmarried Koreans’ intention to have children jumped from 30% to 41% in two years, but structural problems remain KOREA PROMay 8, 2026 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A woman and child in downtown Seoul \| Image: Korea Pro (June 25, 2024) Positive views on marriage and the belief that children are necessary have risen sharply among unmarried South Korean men and women aged 25 to 49, a surveyby the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy showed. The average share of respondents expressing an intention to have children stood at 40.7% in 2026, up significantly from 29.5% in 2024. Among all respondents, 72% said children are necessary, up around 10 percentage points from the first survey. The share of respondents with positive views on marriage reached 76.4%, continuing to rise since 2024. In particular, positive views on marriage among © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Trump’s Cheongung social media post tests Seoul’s refusal to arm to Ukraine 02Lee Jae Myung risks public trust as South Korea rewires its justice system 03South Korea turns to Central Asia as Iran war tests its energy resilience 04Houthi seizure of Mokha sharpens South Korea’s Hormuz deployment dilemma 05Japan’s stronger yen may cut Korea’s import bill while raising funding costs 06South Korea leans on Europe as Hormuz deployment choices grow narrower 07Hanwha’s Austal bid shows where South Korea’s MASGA plan may be heading 08China’s Taiwan pressure may reveal more disciplined strategy toward South Korea

Briefings

Koreans’ willingness to ‘give birth’ spikes, but more among men than women

Unmarried Koreans’ intention to have children jumped from 30% to 41% in two years, but structural problems remain

KOREA PROMay 8, 2026

Koreans’ willingness to ‘give birth’ spikes, but more among men than women

A woman and child in downtown Seoul | Image: Korea Pro (June 25, 2024)

Positive views on marriage and the belief that children are necessary have risen sharply among unmarried South Korean men and women aged 25 to 49, a surveyby the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy showed. The average share of respondents expressing an intention to have children stood at 40.7% in 2026, up significantly from 29.5% in 2024. Among all respondents, 72% said children are necessary, up around 10 percentage points from the first survey. The share of respondents with positive views on marriage reached 76.4%, continuing to rise since 2024. In particular, positive views on marriage among

LATEST ANALYSIS

01Trump’s Cheongung social media post tests Seoul’s refusal to arm to Ukraine
02Lee Jae Myung risks public trust as South Korea rewires its justice system
03South Korea turns to Central Asia as Iran war tests its energy resilience
04Houthi seizure of Mokha sharpens South Korea’s Hormuz deployment dilemma
05Japan’s stronger yen may cut Korea’s import bill while raising funding costs
06South Korea leans on Europe as Hormuz deployment choices grow narrower
07Hanwha’s Austal bid shows where South Korea’s MASGA plan may be heading
08China’s Taiwan pressure may reveal more disciplined strategy toward South Korea

Koreans’ willingness to ‘give birth’ spikes, but more among men than women

LATEST ANALYSIS

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