TOKYO, 4th June, 2025 (WAM) -- The number of births in Japan fell below 700,000 for the first time in 2024, declining 5.7 percent from the previous year to 686,061, government data showed Wednesday, highlighting a continued trend of delayed marriages and childbirths.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, both the number of births and the fertility rate have decreased for nine consecutive years.
The pace of Japan's declining birthrate is now 15 years ahead of government projections.