Japan’s births and fertility decline to record lows in 2025
Japan’s demographic crisis deepened in 2025, with both the number of births and the fertility rate hitting historic lows, according to government data, Qazinform News Agency cites Kyodo.
671,236 babies were born to Japanese nationals, a 2.2% drop from 2024, while the fertility rate fell to 1.14, the lowest ever recorded.
The number of deaths reached 1,589,489, down for the first time in five years, partly due to fewer COVID-19 fatalities.
Deaths exceeded births by 918,253, marking the 19th consecutive year of natural decrease.
The decline in births slowed slightly, linked to the stable population of people aged 25–35 (born in the 1990s).
Marriages increased for the second year to 489,119, with average ages of 31.0 for men and 29.7 for women.
Only four prefectures saw birth increases, including Tokyo, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Kagawa.
The highest fertility rates were reported in Okinawa (1.52), Miyazaki (1.46), Fukui (1.45), the lowest recorded in Tokyo (0.96), followed by Hokkaido and Miyagi (1.00).
Births fell below 700,000 in 2024 for the first time since records began in 1899.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had projected about 749,000 births in 2025, but actual figures were far lower.
It was earlier reported, births across Mongolia dropped significantly in 2025, falling by 5.7 percent compared to the previous year, with a total of 56,200 babies born.
