As views on marriage and having children continue to change over time, a growing number of people in South Korea are embracing a more positive perspective on having children outside of marriage, referred to as “nonmarital childbirth.” This shift is particularly noticeable among younger generations.
According to data released by Statistics Korea on Dec. 26, 37.2% of respondents this year expressed agreement with nonmarital childbirth, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from 34.7% two years ago. The figure has nearly doubled since the initial survey in 2008, when only 21.5% of respondents supported the concept. By gender, 39.1% of men and 35.3% of women expressed agreement.
The data also revealed that younger respondents were more inclined to view nonmarital childbirth positively. Teenagers showed the highest level of support at 44.2%, followed by those in their 20s (42.8%), 30s (42.1%), 40s (40.9%), 50s (35.8%), and those aged 60 and older (29.2%).
Young women, in particular, have demonstrated a significant increase in support. Among women in their 20s, the agreement rate rose from 26.4% in 2014 to 42.4% this year, a 16 percentage point jump. Similarly, the figure for women in their 30s increased by 15.1 percentage points over the past decade, reaching 40.7%.
In contrast, the rise in agreement among young men has been less marked. For men in their 20s, support grew from 34.1% in 2014 to 43.1% this year, reflecting a 9 percentage point increase. Among men in their 30s, the rate rose from 35% to 43.3% over the same period, showing smaller gains compared to their female counterparts.
Kim, a 29-year-old office worker, commented, “I don’t oppose nonmarital childbirth, but I also don’t think it should be actively encouraged. If someone chooses to have a child outside of marriage and is willing to take full responsibility for their child, I don’t see why we should criticize alternative family structures.” One prominent example of this cultural shift is Fujita Sayuri, a Japanese television personality active in South Korea. In 2020, she garnered attention when she became a single mother by choice after receiving a sperm donation from a Japanese sperm bank.
Despite the changing attitudes, nonmarital childbirth remains relatively rare in South Korea. Last year, 10,900 children—accounting for 4.7% of all births—were born outside of marriage, according to Statistics Korea. This figure is significantly lower compared to countries like France, where nearly 60% of births occur outside of marriage.
