Japan, renowned for its demographic challenges, faces yet another concerning milestone as its population experienced a historic decline in 2023, coupled with a record-low number of births, according to government data reported by Kyodo News.
The figures revealed a stark reality: Japan’s population, including foreign residents, contracted by 831,872 individuals, marking the largest decline ever recorded. This phenomenon was primarily attributed to deaths outnumbering births, exacerbating Japan’s longstanding demographic predicament.
Preliminary data released by the health ministry highlighted a significant drop in the number of newborns, plummeting by 5.1 percent to a mere 758,631 births in 2023. This dismal figure underscores a persistent trend, with births remaining below the 800,000 mark since 2022.
Projections from the Japanese government’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research paint a sobering picture, forecasting a continued decline in births to below 760,000 by the year 2035. The gravity of the situation has prompted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration to designate the period leading up to 2030 as “the last chance” to reverse this downward trend.
The rapid decline in newborns is attributed to various societal factors, including delayed marriages and a rising trend of individuals choosing to remain single. Such demographic shifts pose significant challenges to Japan’s economic and social fabric, raising concerns about future workforce shortages and strains on social welfare systems.
Japan’s demographic woes are underscored by historical data, with the number of births peaking in 1973 at approximately 2.09 million before plummeting to below 1 million in 2016. Concurrently, the government reported a record-high number of deaths in Japan, totaling 1,590,503, further exacerbating population decline.
Compounding these challenges, the number of marriages in Japan also reached a historic low in 2023, with only 489,281 unions registered—the lowest level since the end of World War II. These trends underscore the multifaceted nature of Japan’s demographic crisis, necessitating comprehensive policy measures to address the root causes and mitigate long-term implications.
As Japan grapples with the ramifications of its shrinking population and declining birth rates, policymakers face mounting pressure to implement effective strategies aimed at fostering demographic rejuvenation and ensuring the country’s long-term prosperity and sustainability.
Sources By Agencies
