The figure, which includes children born to foreign residents, represents a 2.1 percent decline compared to 2024 and is the lowest total since records began in 1899.
The continued drop in births reflects Japan’s rapidly aging population and growing concerns about the rising cost of living, particularly as inflation places additional financial pressure on families. Although the overall number declined again this year, the rate of decrease slowed slightly compared to the previous year.
Experts also attribute the trend to shifting social attitudes. Increasingly, individuals are choosing to marry and have children later in life, while others are opting not to marry at all as personal priorities evolve.
Meanwhile, Japan’s broader population decline shows no signs of easing. Preliminary data indicates that the natural population decrease, calculated by subtracting births from deaths, reached a record high of 899,845.
Notably, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had projected that annual births, including those of foreign residents in the country, would not fall below 710,000 until 2042.
In separate figures released in June last year, the ministry reported that the number of babies born to Japanese nationals in 2024 dropped to 680,000, marking the first time the total fell below 700,000.
Earlier, it was reported the number of babies born in South Korea grew at the fastest pace in 15 years in 2025, with the country’s total fertility rate rising to 0.8 for the first time in four years.
AloJapan.com