On the 31st, Park Yang-ho, the director of the Daegu Policy Research Institute, announced the results of an analysis on the increase in the number of births in Daegu during a briefing at Daegu City Hall. According to the report by Park Cheon-hak, Daegu has experienced a 1.7% increase in births and a 16.6% increase in marriages up to August this year compared to the same period last year. This positive trend is attributed to Daegu’s efforts in fostering future new industries and the city’s innovation.
According to the Daegu Policy Research Institute, by August this year, the number of marriages in Daegu increased by 16.6% to 6,260 cases, making it the second-highest growth rate in the country after Daejeon. During the same period, the number of births in Daegu increased by 1.7% to 6,596, ranking third in growth after Incheon and Seoul.
The research institute analyzed that the relative increase in births and marriages in Daegu is a result of a combination of factors, such as jobs, housing, and policies. In particular, quality jobs for young people, favorable living conditions, and the city’s birth and childcare policies have contributed to the increase in marriages and births. The contribution of these factors was analyzed as follows: jobs (46.2%), housing (42.2%), and policies (11.6%).
The institute explained that in the analysis of the precedence among the three main factors, jobs acted as a leading factor attracting young people. The process identified that young people moving to Daegu for employment consider their income when looking for housing, during which birth and childcare policies have a phased impact on marriage and birth rates.
The analysis also showed that among the factors related to jobs, the economic activity participation rate and employment rate for people aged 30-34 increased by 4.2 percentage points and 6.6 percentage points, respectively, from 2020 to 2023, the second-highest growth among eight major cities after Daejeon. Additionally, an investment attraction agreement with 37 companies amounting to 9.2033 trillion won from July 2022 to September 2023 doubled the performance compared to the past decade. The success of the “Daegu Innovation 100+1” policy, which includes nurturing new industries, youth housing support, and childcare support policies, also contributed to these results.
Park Yang-ho, the director of Daegu Policy Research Institute, remarked, “The increase in youth employment rates and various effects resulting from the city’s extensive implementation of the ‘Daegu Innovation 100+1’ policies have positively influenced the increase in marriages and births,” adding that Daegu could become a ‘youth-first city’ where young people gather and settle.