AFP: The number of births in Japan fell for the 10th straight year in 2025, official data showed on Thursday, highlighting the challenges for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. A total of 705,809 babies were born in Japan, the preliminary health ministry data showed, down 2.1 per cent from 2024.
The data includes births to Japanese nationals in Japan, foreign births in Japan and babies born to Japanese nationals overseas. Meanwhile, 505,656 couples got married in 2025, up 1.1pc, while the number of divorces fell 3.7pc to 182,969 cases.
There were 1,605,654 deaths, down 13,030 or 0.8pc from 2024.The internal affairs ministry estimated Japanâs overall population as of February at 122.86 million people, down 0.47pc, or 580,000, from a year ago.
The worldâs fourth-biggest economy has one of the worldâs lowest birth rates and a falling and ageing population.
This is leading to a host of problems, including labour shortages, a ballooning social security bill and fewer working people paying tax.
That in turn is adding to Japanâs huge debts. It already has the highest debt ratio among major economies. Figures last year showed that the number of people aged 100 or older was almost 100,000, with close to 90pc of them women.
The shrinking population is also gutting rural communities. The number of abandoned homes in Japan is now around four million. Over 40pc of municipalities risk extinction, according to a recent study.Successive Japanese leaders â including Takaichi, the countryâs first woman premier â have promised to increase births but with limited success.
Tokyoâs city government developed its own dating app which requires users to submit documentation proving they are single and to sign a letter stating they are willing to get married.âThe declining birth rate and shrinking population are a quiet state of emergency that will gradually erode our countryâs vitality,â Takaichi said in parliament last week. Takaichiâs ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a two-thirds majority in February 8 snap elections.
Increasing immigration would help reverse Japanâs falling population and the associated problems in the labour market. But under pressure from the âJapanese firstâ Sanseito party, the right-wing Takaichi has vowed tougher measures on immigration.
The government said on Thursday it is striving to build a stronger economy to reduce the economic burden of childcare for working families.âI believe there were some successes.
Unfortunately, however, we have not managed to reverse this trend (of falling births),â Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki told reporters.âI believe (an important factor) is to achieve a strong economy,â Ozaki said
