Japan births in 2024 fell below 700,000 for first time
The number of births in Japan last year fell below 700,000 for the first time on record, government data showed Wednesday.
The fast-ageing nation welcomed 686,061 newborns in 2024 — 41,227 fewer than in 2023, the data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899.
Japan has the world’s second-oldest population after tiny Monaco, according to the World Bank.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the situation a “quiet emergency”, pledging family-friendly measures like more flexible working hours to try and reverse the trend.
Wednesday’s health ministry data showed that Japan’s total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have — also fell to a record low of 1.15.
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