Japan sees births rise for first time in 11 years
The number of babies born to Japanese nationals in Japan rose 0.4% year on year to 320,458 in the first half of 2026, marking the first increase for the January-June period in 11 years, government data showed Wednesday, Qazinform News Agency cites Kyodo.
Experts said the increase may have been supported by a rise in marriages in 2024 and 2025, a key factor influencing birth numbers.
Despite the increase, births this year are expected to remain near last year's total of 671,270, which marked a record low for the 10th consecutive year.
Japan's annual births have generally declined since peaking at 2.09 million in 1973, despite fluctuations and government efforts to reverse the trend, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
In 2023, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projected that annual births would fall below 680,000 by 2040. However, the decline has progressed faster than expected.
The government has sought to raise the birthrate through measures such as expanding child care allowances and offering parental leave benefits. It has described the period through the early 2030s as the "last chance" to address the country's birthrate crisis.
Earlier, it was reported that Japan's population aged 65 and older had reached a record 29.6%.
