Japan's child population hits record low for 44th consecutive year
What's the story
Japan is facing a demographic crisis.
Its estimated child population has fallen for the 44th year in a row, government data showed on Sunday.
According to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, children (aged 14 or younger) are just 11.1% of Japan's total population.
The number of 14-year-old and younger children has now come down to just over 13.66 million as of April this year, a drop of about 350,000 from last year.
Population decline
Children now constitute only 11.1% of Japan's population
Children currently make up just 11.1% of Japan's total population, which stood at around 123.4 million last year, according to the same Ministry data.
This is a marginal dip from last year and much below other countries like the United States of America and China.
The US had a child-to-population ratio of about 21.7% in 2023, while China's was at around 17.1% for 2024, based on respective government figures.
Fertility crisis
Japan's fertility rate stagnant at 1.3
Japan's fertility rate, or average number of children born to women in their lifetime, has been hovering around 1.3 in recent years.
This is well below the necessary 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population and has been declining for decades.
The country has been reporting more deaths than births annually, resulting in a shrinking total population with far-reaching consequences for its workforce, economy, welfare systems, and social fabric.
Population impact
Japan recorded 1.62 million deaths in 2024
Japan saw about 1.62 million deaths in 2024, according to the Health Ministry, more than double that of births.
Marriages increased marginally by about 10,000 from last year but continued to be low, as divorces increased too.
Experts say the decline will continue for decades and is largely irreversible, given Japan's population structure: over 20% are older than 65 years.
Crisis factors
Factors contributing to Japan's demographic crisis
Many reasons are behind Japan's demographic crisis. They include expensive living, stagnant economy and wages, lack of space, and a stressful work culture.
The country's overwork culture is also affecting young people's decisions to marry and start families.
To tackle these, the government launched new agencies to boost fertility rates and incentivize marriage, including expanding childcare facilities and housing subsidies to parents.