A view of central Tokyo as Japan recorded 705,809 births last year, including foreign residents, the lowest total since national records began in 1899 and a record low for the 10th consecutive year, according to preliminary government data released. File. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 26 (Asia Today) — Japan recorded 705,809 births last year, including foreign residents, the lowest total since national records began in 1899 and a record low for the 10th consecutive year, according to preliminary government data released Wednesday.
The figure was down 2.1% from the previous year, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said in a preliminary release of its annual vital statistics.
Nikkei reported the total is roughly 17 years earlier than a government-backed projection for when annual births would fall into the 700,000 range, raising the likelihood of a broader review of social security benefits and contributions as Japan’s population continues to age.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in 2023 projected births including foreign residents would drop into the 700,000 range in 2042, but the threshold has arrived far sooner, Nikkei said.
The health ministry data also showed marriage registrations rose 1.1% from a year earlier to 505,656 couples, topping 500,000 for the first time in three years and increasing for a second consecutive year. The rise suggests a gradual rebound from a sharp decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While births have fallen by about 30% over the past decade, the pace of decline eased compared with 2022 through 2024, when annual decreases exceeded 5%, Nikkei said.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260226010008147
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