Japan’s fertility rate drops to record low
New births drop to 686,061 in 2024, lowest since 1899, says Health Ministry
ISTANBUL
Japan saw a record low fertility rate last year, dropping to 1.15, down 0.05 points from 2023, government data showed, as the number of babies born has fallen for nine consecutive years in the country.
The births dropped below 700,000 for the first time since statistics were first compiled in 1899, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Health Ministry.
According to the ministry, 686,061 babies were born to Japanese nationals in 2024, down 41,227 from the previous year.
The ministry said the number of deaths last year was a record high at 1,605,298, up 29,282 from 2023.
It added that the overall population decline stands at 919,237, which is also the largest-ever decrease.
Delayed marriages and delayed childbirths are major causes of the dropping fertility rate—the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime—in the country of around 125 million.
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