Japan’s birth rate hit another record low in 2024, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline, as more young people delay marriage while the elderly population continues to rise, according to government data released on Thursday.
The figures underscore Japan’s severe demographic challenges, with a shrinking workforce struggling to support a rapidly growing elderly population.
According to preliminary data from the health ministry, only 720,988 babies were born in Japan in 2024, including those born to foreign nationals—a 5% decline from 758,631 births in 2023. This marks the lowest birth rate since records began in 1899. Meanwhile, deaths outnumbered births more than two to one, rising 1.8% from the previous year to 1.62 million.
Japan’s total population declined to 123.54 million, a 0.46% decrease from a year ago, based on recent figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The declining birth rate in Japan contrasts with South Korea, where new data showed a rise in births per 1,000 people in 2024—the first increase in over a decade. In comparison, Japan’s births peaked at 2.1 million in 1973, highlighting the country’s ongoing population crisis.
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