TOKYO, June 6: Japan’s birthrate plunged to a historic low in 2024, with the number of babies born falling below 700,000 for the first time since official records began in 1899, the health ministry said on Wednesday, deepening concerns over the country’s rapidly ageing population and shrinking workforce.
According to government data, only 686,061 births were recorded last year — a decline of 41,227 from 2023 and the ninth consecutive year of declining births. The figure was significantly lower than projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which had estimated the number would not dip to the 680,000 level until 2039.
The total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — also dropped to a record low of 1.15, down from 1.20 in 2023.
In contrast, Japan recorded 1,605,298 deaths in 2024, up 29,282 from the previous year, also a record. The resulting net population decline stood at 919,237, the largest ever annual drop for the country.
The health ministry attributed the sharp decline in births to a smaller base of younger people and a growing tendency to delay marriage and childbirth. Officials expressed a “sense of crisis” and pledged to strengthen measures to arrest the demographic decline.
Japan, already the world’s oldest major economy, is grappling with the economic and social consequences of a shrinking population. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has previously described the country’s low birthrate as a critical national challenge, warning that Japan was “on the brink of not being able to maintain its social functions.”
Despite government incentives for child-rearing and policies aimed at improving work-life balance, experts say more fundamental reforms may be needed to reverse demographic trends that threaten the country’s future growth and stability.
