Photo : Collected
Japan’s birth count is projected to dip below 700,000 for the first time in 2024, according to government data released Tuesday, revealing a 6.3 percent drop in births for the year’s first half to 329,998, compared to the same period last year.
This figure, covering only Japanese citizens, highlights a continued low birth rate as more people choose to remain single or postpone marriage and parenthood until later in life.
Meanwhile, deaths in the first half of 2024 rose by 1.8 percent year-on-year to 800,274, leading to a natural population decrease of 470,276, as reported by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
Japan's population decline, ongoing for 15 consecutive years, is fueling labor shortages that strain social security systems like health care and pensions, with local government services also at risk.
In response, the Japanese government is intensifying efforts to lift the birth rate, including increased childcare subsidies and parental leave benefits, viewing the period until the early 2030s as a critical window to reverse this trend.
In comparison, Japan recorded 352,240 births in the first half of 2023 and a full-year total of 727,277. Preliminary data from August showed a 5.7 percent drop in births from January to June 2024, amounting to 350,074, including births among foreigners and Japanese citizens living abroad.
Messenger/Disha
