Birth rate in Japan at record low, government warns last chance to reverse trend in next 6 years

Japan is facing its “biggest ever” crisis as a recent survey shows the number of babies born in 2023 has fallen to the lowest level ever for the eighth consecutive year. According to the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, 7,58,631 children were born in Japan last year, which is 5.1 percent less than in 2022. The ministry said it was the lowest number of births since Japan began compiling its statistics in 1899.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the period over the next six years, or until the 2030s, when the youth population will begin to decline rapidly, will be Japan’s last chance to reverse the trend. Hayashi told The Guardian that Japan is in a “critical situation” due to its steadily falling birthrate and there is “no time to waste.”

The number of registered marriages in the country fell to 4,89,281, a decline of 5.9 percent from 2022. It was the first time in 90 years that the marriage rate fell below half a million, becoming one of the major reasons for the decline in the birth rate. Rates, The Guardian reported.

Childbirth outside marriage is rare in Japan because family values ​​are based on ancestral tradition.

According to a survey, high costs of living that are rising faster than salaries, bleak job prospects and corporate cultures that are incompatible with both parents are putting off young people from considering marriage or starting a family. Are alienated from. Stay away from work. Many young parents reportedly feel alienated and even consider crying babies and children playing outdoors as civil nuisances, The Guardian reports.

Commenting on the issue of low birthrates, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said it is “the biggest crisis facing Japan.” He also unveiled a package of measures, including support and subsidies for childbirth, children and their families.

However, experts on the matter have expressed concern over whether the government’s efforts will be fruitful as it is targeting those who are already married or planning to have children, a growing population of youth. Who are also unwilling to do so. Go that far.

The number of births in Japan has been declining for the past 50 years, when it once reached about 2.1 million. The population, currently about 125 million, is expected to decline by about 30 percent to 87 million by 2070. According to estimates from the National Institute, it is estimated that four out of every 10 people in Japan will be 65 or older by then. Population and Social Security Research, Reuters reported.

The recent decline recorded during the survey has been faster than previous forecasts, which had predicted the country would record annual numbers below 7,60,000 by 2035.

The aging population, which is declining at a faster rate than anticipated, is a major concern for Japan’s economy and national security as it prepares its military to counter China’s growing regional ambitions, The Guardian reports. Wants to strengthen.