Japan's total fertility rate in 2024 fell to a record low of 1.15. It is much below 2.1, the rate required to keep the population stable. In 2023 it was recorded as 1.20 according to a report by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in June 2025.
The report said the fertility rate is the lowest since 1899, the year when the records began. The total fertility rate is the number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime. In 2024, 1.6m deaths were recorded – up 1.9% from the year before.
According to a report by CNN in May 2025 Japan’s estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a record low. The report said the number of children aged 14 and under, was 13.66m as of 1 April 2025 according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Children make up just 11.1% of Japan’s total population.
The number of births in Japan in 2024 was 686,061, down 41,227 (5.7%) from 2023. However, the number of marriages – a major factor behind births rose for the first time in two years to 485,063, up by 10,322 from 2023.
Beginning 1 April 2025, Tokyo metropolitan authority has also introduced a four-day work week for government employees in an effort to boost the record-low fertility rate in the country and support working mothers. The plan also allows government employees to take three days off weekly, while another policy enables parents of young schoolchildren to leave work early.
Several reasons contribute to declining birth rates, including rising living costs, more women in education and work, as well as greater access to contraception, leading to women choosing to have fewer children. Also, it has been observed that couples do not have enough confidence in the future to make important long-term commitments that includes getting married and having children.
Aided by declining fertility and reduced birthrate, Japan is also seeing its elderly population increasing every year since 1950. A surge in elderly people presents problems for the country, affecting healthcare system of the country. An estimate has said that by 2070 Japan’s population of those above 65 years of age would be 40% of the total. If the current trends persist, Japan’s population of 124m is expected to fall to 87m by 2070.