{"id":88720,"date":"2025-08-08T03:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T03:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=88720"},"modified":"2025-08-08T03:41:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T03:41:00","slug":"nearly-a-million-more-deaths-than-births-in-japan-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=88720","title":{"rendered":"Nearly a million more deaths than births in Japan last year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Almost a million more deaths than births were recorded in Japan last year, representing the steepest annual population decline since government surveys began in 1968.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described the demographic crisis of Japan\u2019s ageing population as a \u201cquiet emergency\u201d, pledging family-friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work hours.<\/p>\n

But efforts to reverse the perennially low birth rates among Japanese women have so far made little impact.<\/p>\n

New data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024.<\/p>\n

Japan recorded 686,061 births \u2013 the lowest number since records began in 1899 \u2013 while nearly 1.6 million people died, meaning for every baby born, more than two people died.<\/p>\n

It marks the 16th consecutive year of population decline, with the squeeze being felt by the nation\u2019s pension and healthcare systems.<\/p>\n

The number of foreign residents reached a record high of 3.6 million people as of 1 January 2025, however, representing nearly 3% of Japan\u2019s population.<\/p>\n

The government has tentatively embraced foreign labour by launching a digital nomad visa and upskilling initiatives, but immigration remains politically fraught in the largely conservative country.<\/p>\n

The overall population of the country declined by 0.44 per cent from 2023 to about 124.3 million at the start of the year.<\/p>\n

Elderly people aged 65 and over now make up nearly 30% of the population \u2013 the second-highest proportion in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank. The working-age population, defined as those between 15 and 64, has dropped to about 60%.<\/p>\n

A growing number of towns and villages are hollowing out, with nearly four million homes abandoned over the past two decades, government data released last year showed.<\/p>\n

The government has spent years trying to increase birth rates with incentives ranging from housing subsidies to paid parental leave. But deep-rooted cultural and economic barriers remain.<\/p>\n

High living costs, stagnant wages and a rigid work culture deter many young people from starting families. Women, in particular, face entrenched gender roles that often leave them with limited support as primary caregivers.<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s fertility rate \u2013 the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime \u2013 has been low since the 1970s, so experts warn even dramatic improvements now would take decades to bear fruit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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