In Japan, the number of babies born in 2024 reached a record low of 720,988 for the ninth consecutive year, highlighting the rapid aging and dwindling population in the country. Despite efforts by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government to encourage childbearing, births were down by 5% compared to the previous year, while deaths reached a record high of 1.62 million. This means that more than two people died for every new baby born in Japan.
Factors contributing to the decline in childbirth in Japan include fewer marriages in recent years, which can be attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of marriages did see a slight increase in 2024 after significant declines in previous years. Unlike Western countries, the rate of babies born out of wedlock in Japan is low, indicating a strong correlation between marriages and births.
In contrast, neighboring South Korea saw a rise in the fertility rate in 2024 for the first time in nine years, thanks to measures aimed at incentivizing young people to marry and have children. Experts suggest that government support in the areas of work-family balance, child care, and housing, as well as initiatives to encourage businesses to support parenthood, have contributed to this positive turn.
While it is too early to draw meaningful comparisons between the figures in Japan and South Korea, experts emphasize the importance of improving job opportunities and closing the gender gap to encourage young people to marry and have children in both countries. By implementing similar strategies to those seen in South Korea, Japan may be able to address its demographic challenges and reverse the trend of declining childbirth.
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