Japan births hit all-time low in 2022, below 800,000 for 1st time

TOKYO. KAZINFORM - The number of babies born in Japan in 2022 fell to a new record low for the seventh consecutive year, dropping below 800,000 for the first time since records began in 1899, government data showed Tuesday, Kyodo reports.

The total number of births was down 5.1 percent to 799,728, according to preliminary data released by the health ministry. The drop comes much earlier than a 2017 government forecast that said births would fall below 800,000 in 2033.

Lifestyle changes resulting from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and a growing trend of people marrying later in life are thought to have exacerbated the declining birthrate.

Excluding children born to foreign parents, the approximate number of births is estimated to be around 770,000, the data showed.

As for the number of deaths in Japan in 2022, the figure hit a record high of 1,582,033, up 129,744, according to the data.