Japan's birth rate hits a 125-year low

In Japan, all measures taken by the government to increase the birth rate are proving futile and despite all efforts, the birth rate has reached a 125-year low. According to the foreign news agency, according to the data released by the Ministry of Health of Japan, despite all the measures and efforts taken by the government to increase the birth rate of children, the birth rate has been recorded for the ninth year in a row, which is 5% less than the year 2024 when 720 thousand 988 children were born. Due to the annual decline in the birth rate, the number of elderly people in Japan is increasing, which can have profound effects on the country's economy and national security. Japan recorded 1.6 million deaths last year, resulting in a drop in population of about 9 million people, including those who left Japan and went abroad, or two deaths for every new baby born. Also read this Japan: Plans for 3 days off per week to accommodate population growth Japan: Birth rate drops to record low, government introduces dating app Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has admitted that despite a record increase in marriages, the decline in the birth rate has not yet been halted. He said that we should realize that there is a close relationship between the number of marriages and births, we should pay attention to this aspect. The growing proportion of the elderly population in Japan has worried policymakers and researchers, as nearly 30 percent of the country's population is already over 65 years of age. The number of marriages in Japan is expected to increase by 2.2% to 500,000 in 2024, but before that, a significant decline of 12.7% was recorded in 2020, which is a very difficult situation. The government of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took various measures to increase the birth rate, including the introduction of an experimental four-day work week for Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees. Japanese experts believe that Japan's birth rate can be improved by taking measures like South Korea's work-life balance, childcare and accommodation facilities.