Japan’s child population hits record low for 44th straight year
Japan’s child population has declined for the 44th consecutive year, hitting a new record low, according to government data released ahead of Children's Day, observed annually on May 5, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing Kyodo News.
As of April 1, 2025, the number of children under the age of 15, including foreign residents, stood at 13.66 million, down by 350,000 from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Children now make up just 11.1% of the total population, a 0.2% drop from last year and the lowest proportion since records began in 1950.
According to UN data, Japan continues to have the second lowest ratio of children among 37 countries with populations of over 40 million, second only to South Korea, where the rate stands at 10.6%.
Government data also revealed that as of October 1 last year, the number of children declined year-on-year across all 47 prefectures. Only Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture reported child populations exceeding one million.
By gender, the child population included 6.99 million boys and 6.66 million girls. In terms of age, 3.14 million children were between 12 and 14 years old, while only 2.22 million were aged 0 to 2, highlighting a persistent decline in births.
Japan’s child population has been in continuous decline since 1982, after reaching a peak of 29.89 million in 1954, with a second baby boom occurring between 1971 and 1974. The government is continuing efforts to address the demographic crisis through policies aimed at supporting families and boosting birthrates, but these measures have yet to produce a significant shift in the trend.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported on challenges in Japan, such as a shortage of public trash bins.
