TOKYO – The number of babies born in Japan fell for the eighth consecutive year to a record low in 2023, preliminary government data showed on Feb 27, underscoring the daunting task the country faces in trying to stem depopulation.

The number of births fell by 5.1 per cent from 2022 to 758,631, while the number of marriages slid 5.9 per cent to 489,281 – marking the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000.

This could mean a further decline in the population as out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan.

Asked about the latest data, Japan’s top government spokesman said the government will take “unprecedented steps” to cope with the declining birth rate, such as expanding childcare and promoting wage hikes for younger workers.

“The declining birth rate is in a critical situation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

“The next six years or so until 2030, when the number of young people will rapidly decline, will be the last chance to reverse the trend.”

Mindful of the potential social and economic impact, and the strains on public finances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called the trend the “gravest crisis our country faces”, and unveiled a range of steps in late 2023 to support childbearing households.

Japan’s population will likely decline by about 30 per cent to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. REUTERS