Japan’s birth rate has hit a record low for the ninth consecutive year, exacerbating concerns over the country’s dwindling workforce and ageing population.
According to initial statistics published by the Health Ministry, just 720,988 babies were born in 2024, down 5% compared to the 758,631 births recorded in 2023. This is the lowest number of births recorded by the government, which it started tracking in 1899. However, deaths outpaced births by over double, 1.62 million deaths were recorded, 1.8% up from the previous year.
The total population of Japan is now 123.54 million, down 0.46% from last year. But the problem is magnified because of a growing aging population, especially a weight that the work force bears. The number of newborns per 1,000 people plummeted in contrast – for the first time in a decade – with South Korea recording an increase. 
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishabaolu stressed that solving the demographic problem is still an issue of high importance. Though, high living costs, low paycheck and finance shifts are still holding young Japanese back from having families.
Experts predict that if nothing changes – in the form of, say, more childcare support, economic incentives and work-life balance, then Japan will face huge economic and social costs over the coming decades.
