The number of childbirths in South Korea rose for the third consecutive month in May, a government report showed Thursday, a positive development for the country struggling with the problem of an aging population.
  

In May, some 36,600 babies were born here, up 2.5 percent from the same month last year, according to the report from Statistics Korea.
  

The increase follows a 2.4 percent on-year gain in the previous month. However, the May tally marks a nearly 4 percent drop from about 38,100 new babies born in April.
  

South Korea, whose population is expected to peak in 2030, has been trying to push up its birthrate to prevent a decline in the national workforce. Such a development can result in more welfare expenses and damage the country's growth potential.
  

For the first five months of the year, childbirths gained 1.9 percent on-year to about 192,400 babies, according to the report.
  

In 2014, 435,300 babies were born in Asia's fourth-largest economy, down 0.3 percent on-year. The drop also followed a 9.9 percent plunge in the previous year.
  

The report showed about 28,000 couples tied the knot in May, down 1.1 percent from a year earlier.
  

The number of newlyweds is a good indicator of childbirths down the line in South Korea as very few children are born to single-parent families here.
  

The number of marriages had dropped 5.4 percent last year, following a 1.3 percent on-year drop in 2013.
  

For the January-May period, about 129,200 couples got married, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year.
  

In May, the number of divorces plunged 16.2 percent on-year to about 1,600. In the first five months of the year, the number of divorces shrank 7.8 percent on-year to about 43,500.
  

The number of deaths gained 3.2 percent on-year to some 22,900 in May.
  

In a separate report, the statistics office said the number of people changing their residency here surged 10.8 percent on-year to about 650,000 in June. (Yonhap)