TOKYO — The total number of births of Japanese citizens residing in the country in 2024 was 686,061, down 5.7% from the previous year, according to figures released Wednesday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This marked the first time annual births had fallen below 700,000 since record-keeping began in 1899.
That number arrived 14 years ahead of the government’s predictions. The steep drop is aggravating Japan’s population decline and putting further pressure on the country’s economy and welfare system.
