Japanese Government: The number of newborns in Japan could hit a new low this year, in the face of a population crisis
Overseas Network, November 28. The Japanese government said the number of newborns in Japan this year may be the lowest since the statistics were available, the first time below 800,000, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK news on the 28th. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroichi Matsuno said Japan was facing a demographic crisis and would soon promote comprehensive policies related to marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing.
From January to September this year, the number of newborns (including foreigners) born in Japan was about 599,000, 30,000 fewer than in 2021, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. 2021 is already the year with the fewest newborns in Japan since the statistics were available. The number of newborns in Japan is estimated to hit a new low this year. Matsuno Hiroichi said in a press conference held on the morning of the 28th that this situation has formed a “crisis” and that there are many reasons behind it. Hiroichi Matsuno said the Japanese government will improve the social environment and introduce policies to support marriage and childbirth, so that men and women can combine work and raise children smoothly.
The number of newborns in Japan has shown a continuous downward trend since the late 1970s. In the 1990s, the number of newborns per year remained at about 1.2 million. In 2016, the number of newborns fell below 1 million for the first time. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of marriage registrations in Japan has continued to decline since 2000. In 2021, only 501,000 couples in Japan will register for marriage, a decrease of more than 20,000 compared to the previous year , the lowest since 1945. (Overseas Wang Shanning)
[Redattore responsabile: Liu Yang]
