A children's clothing store in Seoul is seen on Wednesday. (Yonhap) Seoul's fertility rate rose for a second consecutive year in 2025, while the capital recorded the highest growth in both births and marriages among all major cities and provinces in the first half of this year.A total of 45,516 babies were born in Seoul last year, up 9.4 percent from 41,605 in 2024, according to the 2025 birth statistics, latest data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.The increase was the largest among the country's 16 major administrative regions.The city's total fertility rate increased to 0.63 in 2025. The figure has now risen for two consecutive years after hitting a record low of 0.55 in 2023. It stood at 0.58 in 2024.The total fertility rate refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime.South Korea's total fertility rate in 2025 was 0.80, rising for the second straight year since marking an all-time low of 0.72 in 2023.Marriages, considered a leading indicator of births, also continued to increase.Seoul reported 26,840 marriages between January and June, up 10.9 percent on-year, also marking the highest among other cities and provinces.The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributed the improvement partly to a series of measures aimed at easing the financial burden associated with pregnancy, childbirth and housing."The simultaneous rise in births and marriages shows that a virtuous circle is becoming increasingly evident in Seoul," said an official from the city government’s Women and Family office."To sustain this momentum over the long term, we will strengthen support not only for childbirth, but also for child-rearing and families."Its programs include transportation subsidies for pregnant women and postpartum care subsidies. About 210,000 women have received transportation assistance, while approximately 120,000 have benefited from the postpartum care program, according to the city.Since 2023, Seoul has removed income eligibility requirements and treatment-specific limits on the number of subsidies available for infertility procedures. The city had provided financial support in approximately 210,000 cases as of July this year.