January 15, 2026
SEOUL – Share of total newborns who were artificially conceived jumps 70% over five years as increase comes amid shrinking overall birth rate
The share of babies born through infertility treatment in South Korea has risen sharply over the past five years, as medically assisted conception makes up a growing portion of a shrinking total, government data showed.
According to a report released earlier this month by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, babies conceived through medical support such as in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination accounted for 15.1 percent of all newborns in 2024, up from 8.7 percent in 2019.
In headcount terms, babies born through infertility treatment rose by about 37 percent, from roughly 26,000 in 2019 to 36,000 in 2024.
The faster growth in the proportion reflects a broader demographic shift. During the same period, Korea’s total number of newborns declined from 302,000 to 238,000.
Total infertility treatment costs recorded by the Health Ministry increased from 227.7 billion won ($154 million) to 555.5 billion won between 2018 and 2024.
The trend coincides with delayed marriage in the country. The average age at first marriage has continued to rise for both men and women, a factor that affects fertility in both genders.
According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the average age at first marriage for men increased from 33.15 to 33.86 between 2018 and 2024, while the figure for women rose from 30.4 to 31.55 over the same period.
Older age groups now account for a growing share of fertility care recipients. The proportion of patients in their 40s rose from 25.5 percent to 40.3 percent during the same period.
In response to rising demand, the government has expanded its support for infertility treatment as part of efforts to address rapid population aging.
By easing eligibility standards and increasing the number of subsidized treatment cycles, the number of supported treatment cases grew by 142.6 percent, from 92,000 in 2020 to 223,000 in 2024. The related budget expanded 3.5-fold to 145.7 billion won.
The data showed that the success rate of infertility treatment stood at 30.9 percent for in vitro fertilization and 17.5 percent for artificial insemination as of 2022.