Number of babies born in April rises to 20,717 at a year-on-year rate last seen in 1991, though overall fertility rate remains below replacement levels

South Korea’s birthrate surged at its fastest pace in more than three decades in April, offering tentative signs of recovery in a country grappling with the world’s lowest fertility rate, official data showed.

The number of babies born in April reached 20,717, marking an 8.7% increase from the same month last year and the steepest monthly growth since April 1991, according to Statistics Korea.