Japan 2024 births fell 5.7% to 686,061, population drops for 18th year
June 4 (UPI) -- Japanese 2024 births dipped below 700,000 for the first time, according to government data released Wednesday.
Births dropped 5.7% to 686,061 as Japan's population dropped by roughly 919,000, the 18th year in a row to show a net population decline.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projected births to fall to around 680,000 by 2039, but the 2024 data showed births reaching nearly that level 15 years sooner than expected.
The fertility rate declined to 1.15 compared with 1.2 in 2023.
The declining Japanese birthrate happened even as the government attempts to increase the fertility rate with policies including full wage compensation for some couples on parental leave, child-related subsidies, improved working conditions for childcare and tuition-free high school.
Dropping births are putting pressure on the nation's social security system with 3 million fewer people paying into the system while the number of beneficiaries has increased by 40%.
The birthrate in Japan reached its zenith in 1973 with approximately 2.09 million births. By 2016 births fell to under 1 million.
Tokyo had the lowest fertility rate in 2024 with 0.96. Okinawa had the highest birthrate at 1.54.
Marriages in 2024 were up to 485,063, an increase of 10,322 from 2023.
Japan's total births and fertility rate have both been declining for nine straight years, due in part to a continuing trend of delayed marriages and births.
The total fertility rate in Japan -- the number of lifetime children a woman is estimated to have -- fell to a record low of 1.15 in 2024, according to government data.
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