Baby Decline: Births in Japan Fall for the Tenth Consecutive Year
Japan’s birth numbers and fertility rate have fallen to fresh historic lows, underscoring the depth of a demographic crisis shaped by regional disparities, late marriage, nonmarriage, and a long-running excess of deaths over births.
Baby Decline: Births in Japan Fall for the Tenth Consecutive Year. Society. English - Japanese - Simplified Chinese - Traditional Chinese - French - Spanish - Arabic - Russian. Declining Fertility Rates.
Baby Decline: Births in Japan Drop for the Tenth Successive Year Society- English - 日本語 - 简体字 - 繁體字 - Français - Español - العربية - Русский Falling Fertility Rates
The number of births in Japan fell to 671,236 in 2025, a decrease of 14,937 from the previous year. Demographic statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare confirmed that births remained below 700,000 for a second consecutive year, and, on the basis of comparable statistics dating back to 1899, reached a record low for the tenth year in a row. The total fertility rate, which indicates the number of children a woman bears over her lifetime, declined by 0.01 point to a new low of 1.14.
The number of births in Japan dropped to 671,236 in 2025, down 14,937 year on year. Demographic statistics published by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare confirmed that there were less than 700,000 births for the second successive year, and a record low for the tenth year running, based on comparable statistics available since 1899. The total fertility rate, indicating the number of children a woman has in her lifetime, fell by 0.01 points to a new low of 1.14.
Fertility rates tended to be lower in eastern prefectures than in western ones. Tokyo remained below 1 for the second year running, at 0.96, followed by Miyagi and Hokkaido, both at 1.00. The highest rates were in Okinawa, at 1.52; Miyazaki, at 1.46; Fukui, at 1.45; Nagasaki, at 1.42; Shimane, at 1.41; and Kagawa and Kumamoto, both at 1.40.
Eastern prefectures tended to have lower fertility rates than those in the west, with Tokyo remaining below 1 for the second year, at 0.96, followed by Miyagi and Hokkaidō at 1.00. The highest fertility rates were Okinawa at 1.52, Miyazaki at 1.46, Fukui at 1.45, Nagasaki at 1.42, Shimane at 1.41, and Kagawa and Kumamoto at 1.40.
The number of marriages rose for a second consecutive year, increasing by 4,027 to 489,119, but the figure remains low. Cultural factors, including Japan’s general reluctance to have children outside marriage, together with the trend toward marrying later or not marrying at all, pose major obstacles to efforts to raise the number of births.
The number of marriages increased for a second successive year, climbing by 4,027 to 489,119, but the figure remains low. Cultural factors including the general aversion to having children outside of marriage in Japan and trends toward marrying late or not at all present major challenges to efforts to lift the number of births.
Japan’s DemographicsJapan’s Demographics
Created by Nippon.com based on demographic statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
Created by Nippon.com based on demographic statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
There were 1,589,489 deaths in 2025, the first decline in five years, but this had no real effect on natural population decrease, the difference between the number of births and deaths, which exceeded 900,000 for the second year in succession. In Japan, deaths have outnumbered births for 19 consecutive years.
There were 1,589,489 deaths in 2025, marking the first decline in five years, but this had no real impact on natural population decline (the difference between the number of births and deaths), which remained over 900,000 for the second successive year. There have been more deaths than births in Japan for 19 successive years.
During Japan’s first baby boom, from 1947 to 1949, annual births reached 2.5 million, and during the second baby boom, from 1971 to 1974, they exceeded 2 million a year. Since then, the number has steadily declined, with no surge in births when the second baby-boom generation reached childbearing age. The gap between births and deaths has been widening since 2007.
During Japan’s first baby boom (1947–49), the number of annual births reached 2.5 million, and births per year exceeded 2 million during the second baby boom (1971–74). Since then, the number has consistently declined, without a spike in births when the second baby-boom generation reached the age to have their own children. The gap between the number of births and the number of deaths has been growing wider since 2007.
Data SourcesData Sources
Public demographic statistics, in Japanese, from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
- Public demographic statistics (Japanese) from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.