According to government data, Japan's newborns fell to below 700,000 for the first time since its founding record in 1899, as young people were reluctant to marry and raise children due to economic concerns, and a society that still added an extra borough...

Tokyo - The number of newborns in Japan has dropped faster than expected, with the age count falling to a record low last year, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health said 686,061 babies were born in Japan in 2024, down 5.7% the previous year, and the number of newborns fell by 700,000 for the first time since the record began in 1899.

The decline is 15 years faster than the government predicts. Last year's figures were about a quarter of the peak of 2.7 million in 1949 during the post-war infant boom.

Data from countries that are rapidly aging and shrinking populations have increased concerns about the sustainability of economic and national security and have attempted to increase defense spending.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba described the situation as a “silent state of emergency” and has committed to promoting a more flexible working environment and other measures that will help married couples balance work and parenting, especially in rural areas with family values ​​that tend to be more conservative and work harder on women.

The latest data from the Ministry of Health shows that Japan's fertility rate (the average number of babies in women's lives is expected to fall to a new low of 1.15 in 2024 from 1.2 a year ago. The number of marriages increased slightly to 485,063 couples, but the downward trend has remained unchanged since the 1970s.

Experts say government measures have not yet addressed the growing number of young people getting married, while focusing mainly on couples who are already married and plan for a family or already have children.

Experts say that younger generations are increasingly reluctant to get married, or corporate cultures with poor job prospects, high cost of living and gender bias will only add to the extra burden for women and working mothers.

More and more women are also citing the pressure to change their last name to their husbands because they are reluctant to get married. According to civil law, couples must choose surnames to get married legally, a rule that traditionally causes women to give up their maiden name.

Japan's population is about 124 million, which is expected to drop to 87 million by 2070, while 40% of the population will exceed 65.