Births rise in S. Korea for 15th month in May

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The number of babies born in South Korea increased for the 15th straight month in May amid the government's efforts to boost the nation's low birthrate, a report showed Monday.
According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of babies born in May came to some 39,100, up 5.7 percent or 2,100 from the same month a year earlier.
The number of births has been on the rise since March last year after logging a 24-month consecutive decline, the report showed.
The report did not specify the reason for the growth, but observers say that the ongoing economic recovery might have encouraged couples to have babies.
During the same month, the report said that the number of deaths totaled 21,600, up 0.5 percent or 100 from a year earlier. The number of people getting married increased 6.4 percent on-year to 30,100, while divorces rose 2.2 percent to 9,500.