Japan recorded its lowest number of births in history last year, marking a ninth consecutive annual decline, according to health ministry data released Thursday. The drop highlights the country’s ongoing struggle with an aging and shrinking population despite government efforts to reverse the trend.
A total of 720,998 babies were born in 2024, a 5% decrease from the previous year and the lowest figure since records began in 1899. The decline reached this level 15 years earlier than anticipated, raising concerns about Japan’s demographic future. The birth rate for Japanese nationals alone is expected to fall below 700,000 when detailed figures are released later this year.
The data comes as South Korea reported its first rise in births in nearly a decade, partly due to an increase in marriages among couples who delayed weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Japan saw a slight increase in marriages in 2024, reaching 499,999—up 2.2% from the previous year’s 90-year low.
Experts suggest that improving job security, economic stability, and workplace support for working parents could help encourage more young Japanese to marry and start families. Many younger citizens cite high living costs, stagnant wages, and rigid corporate cultures as key reasons for delaying or avoiding marriage and parenthood.
If the trend continues, Japan’s population is projected to decline by 30% by 2070, with four in every ten people expected to be aged 65 or older.
