Nikkei points out “concerns about economic and social security sustainability”
The number of births in Japan last year hit a record low of 758,631.
According to the Nippon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Mainichi Shimbun on the 27th, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced the number of births in 2023 (preliminary data). The number was 758,631, a decrease of 5.1 percentage points from the previous year.
The number of births has decreased for eight consecutive years until last year. In particular, the number of births began to decline sharply after 2022 (799,728), when it first fell below 800,000.
Japan’s National Institute for Social Security and Population Studies (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) estimated the number of births in 2023 to be 762,000, but the number of births is decreasing faster than this.
In addition, the research institute predicted that the number of births would temporarily increase in 2024 and collapse to 760,000 in 2035, but it collapsed by 760,000 in 2023, much earlier than this.
The birth rate is decreasing at a rate about 12 years faster than the research institute expected. “The situation where low birth rates cannot be stopped has been highlighted again,” Mainichi explained. Jiji News also reported, “The accelerating trend of low birth rates has become clearer.”
The number of marriages also decreased by 5.9% from the previous year to 489,281. It fell below 500,000 for the first time since World War II. Nikkei analyzed, “If the number of marriages does not increase, a reversal in the increase in the number of births is uncertain.”
On the other hand, the number of divorce cases was 187,798, a 2.6% increase from the previous year. It turned into an increase after 4 years.
The number of deaths increased by 8,470 from the previous year to 1,590,503. It increased for three consecutive years and reached an all-time high. It is increasing against the background of aging.
Accordingly, the natural population decline, which has been occurring with more deaths than births, has continued in Japan for 17 consecutive years.
Nikkei pointed out that due to natural population decline and aging, “there are concerns about the sustainability of the economy and social security as the (working) generation is gradually decreasing.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.