In 2024, Japan recorded a historic low of 720,988 births, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline, according to the health ministry. This trend highlights the rapid aging and shrinking of the population.
Births decreased by 5% compared to the previous year, despite efforts by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government in 2023 to encourage childbearing. Meanwhile, a record 1.62 million deaths occurred, resulting in more than two deaths for every baby born.
Takumi Fujinami, an economist at the Japan Research Institute, noted that the decline in childbirth is linked to a decrease in marriages in recent years, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the number of marriages increased by 2.2% to 499,999 in 2024, this rise followed significant declines, including a 12.7% drop in 2020. Fujinami cautioned that the effects of these trends could persist into 2025.
In Japan, only a small percentage of babies are born out of wedlock, indicating a strong connection between marriage and childbirth.
In contrast, South Korea’s fertility rate rose to 0.75 in 2024 from 0.72 in 2023, suggesting that the neighboring country might be turning a corner in its demographic crisis.
The latest data for Japan shows an average fertility rate of 1.20 in 2023, reflecting the number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years.
While it is premature for a meaningful comparison between the two countries, Fujinami emphasized the need for both nations to enhance job opportunities and address the gender gap to motivate young people to marry and start families. Experts attribute South Korea’s positive trend to government support in three key areas: work-family balance, childcare, and housing. Additionally, there has been a campaign encouraging businesses to promote parenthood among employees.
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