Japan's Fertility Rate Hits Record Low Despite Govt Push

Japan's fertility rate declined in 2024 for a ninth consecutive year, reaching another historical low that underscores the immense challenge facing the government as it attempts to reverse the trend in one of the world's most aged societies.

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TOKYO -

The total fertility rate—the average number of children a woman is likely to have over her childbearing years—fell to 1.15, down from 1.2 the previous year, marking the lowest rate in records going back to 1947, according to a Health Ministry statement on June 4.

The trend was particularly notable in Tokyo, where the rate was below 1 for the second year in a row.

The total number of births dropped to about 686,000, marking the first time the figure has fallen below 700,000.

Deaths totaled around 1.61 million, leading to a net population decline of roughly 919,000 and extending the run of annual drops in the country's population to 18 years. The data excludes migration.