South Korea’s daycare center network has shrunk by 41 percent since peaking in 2013, amid persistently low birth rates.
The number fell for the 12th consecutive year in 2025, dropping to 26,064 from the 2013 peak of 43,770. The 2025 figure also marked a 4.8 percent drop from 2024, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data released by the Korean Statistical Information Service.
Enrollment fell to 887,764 children last year from 941,303 in 2024. Among children aged 0 to 6, 48.1 percent attended daycare centers in 2025. Kindergartens followed a similar trend, with their number falling for an eighth consecutive year to 8,140 in 2025.
Public daycare centers were an exception. Their number rose 3.4 percent to 6,745 last year from 6,521 in 2024, while privately operated, social welfare corporation-run and home-based centers declined, according to the data.
Against the backdrop of low birth rates, the government is pursuing the integration of early childhood education and childcare to strengthen state responsibility for young children’s learning and care. It aims to complete the integration by 2030 through legislative changes.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
