Japan's Births Hit Record Low Last Year... Kishida Calls It "The Biggest Crisis"

South Korea's total fertility rate fell to a record low last year, while neighboring Japan also set a new low birthrate record.

The British daily newspaper The Guardian reported on the 28th (local time), citing data from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, that the number of births in Japan decreased for the eighth consecutive year last year, reaching an all-time low. According to the data, 758,631 babies were born in Japan in 2023, a 5.1% decrease compared to the previous year. This is the lowest level since Japan began compiling statistics in 1899.

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The annual number of births in Japan peaked at about 2.1 million during the second baby boom period from 1971 to 1974 and has been on a steady decline since then. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had projected that the number of births would fall below 760,000 in 2035, but the actual decline in birthrate has outpaced expectations, bringing this milestone 12 years earlier.

The decrease in the number of marriages is also fueling the decline in birthrate. Last year, the number of marriages dropped by 5.9% from the previous year to 489,281, falling below 500,000 for the first time in 90 years. The newspaper noted that due to Japan's unique patriarchal traditions and family values, out-of-wedlock births are rare, and the decline in marriages is directly causing the decrease in births.

The newspaper also reported survey results showing that many young Japanese hesitate to marry and have children due to bleak employment prospects, inflation rising faster than wages, and corporate culture that hinders work-life balance. It added that the growing atmosphere of viewing children as a nuisance and the sense of isolation felt by many young parents are also causes of the low birthrate.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, told reporters on the 27th that the ongoing low birthrate issue is in a "serious state." He said, "The next six years until the 2030s, when the young population begins to decline sharply, will be the last chance to reverse the current trend," adding, "There is no time to waste."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also described Japan's low birthrate problem as "the greatest crisis facing Japan." On the 22nd, he announced a ?3.6 trillion annual 'Children's Future Strategy' that includes expanding child allowances and reducing the burden of higher education costs. The newspaper reported that experts pointed out that the Japanese government has so far focused only on married couples and those planning to have children, and that measures for the younger generation who are reluctant to marry and have children have been insufficient.

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