Japan Projects 690,000 Births This Year... "First Decline Below 700,000"

The number of births in Japan is expected to fall below 700,000 for the first time this year.

On the 25th, Asahi Shimbun reported that when the preliminary figures for January to October this year from the population dynamics statistics published by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare were applied to the formula the government uses to estimate the annual number of births, the annual number of births this year is estimated to be 687,000.

On October 27th, during the Japanese general election, a man holding a baby is casting his vote. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

Last year, the number of births in Japan was 727,288, a decrease of about 5.5%. This is expected to be the lowest figure since related statistics began to be compiled in 1899.

In the future population projections announced by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in April last year, the number of births this year was forecasted to be 755,000. At that time, the year when the number of births would fall below 700,000 was expected to be 2038, which is 14 years earlier than expected.

The number of births in Japan recorded 707,759 in 2022, breaking the 800,000 mark for the first time. Since then, the 700,000 mark is also on the verge of collapse after two years.

The annual number of births in Japan this year, including foreigners, is scheduled to be announced around February next year, and the number of births of Japanese nationals is expected to be announced around June next year.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government is expanding support to reverse the low birthrate trend. At the end of last year, the Cabinet decided on a low birthrate countermeasure worth 3.6 trillion yen (about 33.4188 trillion won) annually, which includes expanding child allowances and childcare support.