Over 30% of unmarried Japanese people do not want children - survey

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research found that the average number of children desired has dropped to just 1.30 for men and 1.36 for women, both record lows.

Among unmarried men, 33% reported no desire for children, up 9.8 percentage points from the previous survey in 2021. For women, the figure rose to 32.4%, an increase of 8.8 points.  In the previous survey, the average number of children desired was 1.56 for both men and women.

Officials suggest that diversified lifestyles, shifting values, and financial concerns are major factors behind this trend.

The survey also found that 24.0% of unmarried men and 21.5% of unmarried women said they do not intend to ever marry.

Japan continues to grapple with a falling birthrate despite government efforts to reverse the trend. The number of births has fallen sharply from 2.09 million in 1973, at the height of the country's second baby boom.