Japan Experiences 10th Year of Declining Birth Rates

The declining birth rates in Japan have reached a worrying milestone, as the nation recorded a drop in births for the tenth consecutive year in 2025, according to preliminary findings from the health ministry. This trend presents significant demographic challenges for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.

In total, there were 705,809 births in Japan during 2025, reflecting a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to 2024. This count encompasses births to Japanese citizens within the country, foreign births, and babies born to Japanese nationals abroad. In contrast, marriages rose to 505,656, marking a 1.1 percent increase, while the number of divorces fell by 3.7 percent to 182,969 cases.

The country experienced 1,605,654 deaths in 2025, a slight decrease of 13,030 or 0.8 percent from the previous year. According to estimates from the internal affairs ministry, Japan's population was approximately 122.86 million in February, representing a year-on-year reduction of 580,000 or 0.47 percent.

As the world's fourth-largest economy, Japan faces one of the most severe birth rate dilemmas globally, along with an ageing population. This demographic shift is leading to labor shortages, increasing social security expenses, and a dwindling tax base, exacerbating the nation’s already significant public debt, which is the highest among major economies.

Recent statistics indicate that nearly 100,000 individuals in Japan are aged 100 years or older, with almost 90 percent of them being women. Rural regions are particularly impacted, with an estimated four million abandoned homes across the nation, and over 40 percent of municipalities identified as at risk of disappearing, according to a recent study.

Repeated efforts by various governments to tackle the birth rate crisis have seen limited success, including those by Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister. The Tokyo metropolitan government has even introduced a dating application that requires users to confirm their single status and express an intent to marry.

During her recent speech in parliament, Takaichi articulated, "The declining birth rate and decreasing population represent a quiet state of emergency that will progressively undermine our country’s vitality." Her ruling Liberal Democratic Party recently secured a two-thirds majority in snap elections held on February 8.

While some experts suggest that increasing immigration could help alleviate the demographic decline, Takaichi has faced pressure from the “Japanese first” Sanseito party to implement stricter immigration policies. The government claims to be making strides to strengthen the economy and lessen the financial burdens of childcare for working families. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki acknowledged the limited progress achieved to date.

"I believe there were some successes. Unfortunately, however, we have not managed to reverse this trend," Ozaki remarked, emphasizing the necessity of fostering a stronger economy to effectively address these challenges.