Japan’s birth rate dropped to record low in 2023
The number of children born in Japan fell for the eighth year in a row and hit a record low in 2023, according to the preliminary data published by the government, Reuters reports
The number of births decreased by 5.1 percent against 2022, standing at 758,631, and the number of marriages decreased by 5.9 percent to 489,281. For the first time in nine decades, this figure fell below 500 thousand, indicating a further decline in the population, since out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan.
“Asked about the latest data, Japan’s top government spokesperson said the government will take ‘unprecedented steps’ to cope with the declining birth rate, such as expanding childcare and promoting wage hikes for younger workers,” the publication reads.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the decline in the birth rate is a critical situation, “The next six years or so until 2030, when the number of young people will rapidly decline, will be the last chance to reverse the trend.”
