Japan births hit ‘critical’ new low – sapping national strength, experts caution
- The number of births has been falling since 1973, when it peaked at about 2.1 million. Fewer than 600,000 Japanese were born in January-September
- A government-commissioned panel last week cited the low birth rate and falling population as factors that threaten to erode Japan’s national strength
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno promised comprehensive measures to encourage more marriages and births.
The total of 599,636 Japanese born in January-September was 4.9 per cent below last year’s figure, suggesting the number of births in all of 2022 might fall below last year’s record low of 811,000 babies, he said.
Japan is the world’s third-biggest economy but living costs are high and wage increases have been slow. The conservative government has lagged on making society more inclusive for children, women and minorities.
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Japan’s population drops by 644,000 in a single year
So far, the government’s efforts to encourage people to have more babies have had limited impact despite payments of subsidies for pregnancy, childbirth and child care.