Japan records lowest birth rate since 1899

People in Japan are having fewer babies than before, so much so that it has broken a record. In 2024, the number of babies born in Japan plunged to 686,061, making it the first time birth numbers have gone down since 1899, the year data collection began in the country.

Describing the declining births in Japan as “critical”, a government official told The Asahi Shimbun, “Multiple complex factors are preventing individuals from fulfilling their hopes of marriage and starting families.”

The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, dropped by 0.05 points compared to the previous year, marking the lowest level since the government started tracking data in 1947.

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The country has been witnessing a declining birth rate for quite some time. In the past few years, authorities in Japan have been trying to promote policies that will address the country’s plummeting birth rate.

Not many Japanese women see marriage as a life goal now. Owing to the rapid improvement in gender roles in Japan, young women are more likely to get employed than to get married and have children.

A declining and ageing population could pose significant challenges to the economy and national security, especially as the country works to strengthen its military in response to potential threats from China and North Korea.

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Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who calls the demographic situation “a silent emergency”, has unveiled a number of measures to reverse the declining birth rate. These include an expansion of child allowance and free high school education, as well as giving a word to couples that they would receive the equivalent of 100% of their take-home pay when they take parental leave at the same time.

The government has also faced criticism for prioritising married couples over younger, single individuals who are discouraged from marriage. Many point to factors like poor job prospects, lack of job security, the high cost of living, and a corporate culture that makes it challenging for women to balance work and motherhood.