The number of babies born in South Korea posted growth in 2011 for the second straight year, amid the government's constant efforts to boost the country's low birthrate, a government report showed Monday.

According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of newborns stood at 471,400 last year, up 1,200, or 0.3 percent, from the previous year. Last year's is the highest since 493,200 reported in 2007.

The total fertility rate, or the average number of children born to each woman over the course of her life, reached 1.24, marking the second consecutive year of growth, the report showed.

The increase in the number of newborns comes amid the government's persistent efforts to tackle the country's low birthrate coupled with a rapidly aging society, which could hamper South Korea's economic growth potential.

South Korea has one of the world's lowest fertility of 1.2 children per mother, according to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.