Japan records lowest births since 1899 as population decline continues

2026-02-26 - 10:22

Japan recorded 705,809 births in 2025, the fewest in the country’s modern history, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the Health Ministry and reported by Kyodo News. The figure represents a 2.1% decline from 2024, marking the 10th straight year of falling birth rates. Slowing decline but persistent demographic challenges While the pace of decline eased slightly compared with the previous year, Japan’s natural population decrease — the difference between deaths and births — reached a record high of 899,845. The new statistics cover births to Japanese nationals in Japan, foreign births in the country, and Japanese nationals giving birth overseas. Economic and social factors Government officials and demographers attribute the drop to a combination of factors, including rising living costs amid inflation, delayed marriages, and changing priorities among younger generations. Many couples are choosing to have children later in life or forego marriage entirely, contributing to the shrinking population. Long-term implications The continued decline in births underscores Japan’s broader demographic challenges, including a rapidly aging population and potential labor shortages, which are expected to influence economic planning, social services, and public policy for decades to come.