Japan's birth rate continually declines.
Japan experienced a continuing decline in birth rates in the past year, as revealed by preliminary data from the Health Ministry on Wednesday. The average number of children a Japanese woman has currently stands at 1.2, marking an all-time low and the eighth consecutive year of decline. This data was reported by Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Japan's struggle with low birth rates has been a persistent issue for several years. Despite having one of the oldest populations in the world among industrialized countries, the nation also suffered from a natural population decline in 2023. The number of live births plummeted by 5.6% to 727,277 compared to the previous year, while deaths rose to 1.58 million. With a population of approximately 124 million people, this trend paints a grim picture for Japan's future.
In response, Japan's parliament has passed legislation aimed at addressing the issue. One of the measures to be implemented is the removal of the income limit for families to receive child allowances. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has made it clear that promoting the birth rate is his highest priority. However, previous government efforts to combat this trend have been unsuccessful.
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Japan's low birth rate issue persisted also in the Year, leading to a natural population decline in 2023. Despite the proposed legislation and Prime Minister Kishida's emphasis, Japan's birth rate continues to decline, with the Year seeing a 5.6% drop in live births.
