The number of babies born in Japan in 2023 reached a historic low of 758,631, a 5.1% decline from the previous year, marking an 8th consecutive annual decline, according to Japan’s Health and Welfare Ministry, Associated Press reports.
This trend was coupled with a 5.9% decrease in marriages to 489,281 couples, dropping below half a million for the first time in 90 years. Factors contributing to this decline include economic challenges, corporate culture, and changing attitudes toward family life.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized the urgency of reversing this trend within the next six years, highlighting the critical state of Japan’s declining birth rate. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida labeled the low birth rate as Japan’s biggest crisis and proposed measures to support childbirth and families. However, experts doubt the effectiveness of these measures, pointing out a lack of attention to addressing the reluctance of many young people to marry and have children.
Japan’s population decline poses significant challenges for the economy and national security, with projections indicating a 30% reduction in population by 2070 and an aging demographic landscape.
