Current Events > Japan's birth rate continues to decline

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250604/p2g/00m/0na/026000c

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of births in Japan fell below 700,000 for the first time in 2024, declining 5.7 percent from the previous year to 686,061, government data showed Wednesday, highlighting a continued trend of delayed marriages and childbirths.

Japan's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is estimated to bear in her lifetime -- also fell to a record-low 1.15, down from 1.20 in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Both the number of births and the fertility rate have decreased for nine consecutive years. The pace of Japan's declining birthrate is now 15 years ahead of government projections.
The full-year figures exclude babies born to foreign nationals.
The number of marriages, a key factor influencing future birth trends, increased for the first time in two years in 2024 to 485,063, up by 10,322 from a year earlier.
A total of 1,605,298 deaths were reported, the highest number in the postwar period, while the natural decrease -- deaths minus births -- reaching a record 919,237, marking a decline for the 18th straight year.
Japan's birthrate has been falling since hitting a peak during the second baby boom in 1973, when around 2.09 million births were recorded. The figure fell below 1 million in 2016 and below 800,000 in 2022.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had not projected births to drop into the 680,000 range until 2039.
By prefecture, Tokyo recorded the lowest fertility rate at 0.96, followed by Miyagi at 1.00 and Hokkaido at 1.01. Okinawa in southern Japan had the highest rate at 1.54, followed by Fukui at 1.46.

I blame the horny ban.

It would probably do the earth good to decline by a few billion people. Everyone freaks out about stagnant and declining birthrates in certain areas but the world population is 8 billion people+ and increases every year. The planet has basically doubled in my lifetime.

The only thing that can save Japan is them accepting massive immigration.

Bokothechoco2 posted...

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250604/p2g/00m/0na/026000c

I blame the horny ban.

People are having less kids over there due to the economic situation as well as more unique social issues like the NEET and hikikomori lifestyles.

Zikten posted...

The only thing that can save Japan is them accepting massive immigration.

Hasn't Japan been pretty lax with immigration lately?

Humble_Novice posted...

People are having less kids over there due to the economic situation as well as more unique social issues like the NEET and hikikomori lifestyles.

You get that over here, too, though. It's not even remotely unique XD

CRON posted...

Hasn't Japan been pretty lax with immigration lately?

It's supposedly very hard to become a Japanese citizen. I've always heard it's almost impossible and only a handful of people each year ever are accepted

Zikten posted...

The only thing that can save Japan is them accepting massive immigration.

Unfortunately, the majority of Japanese citizens don't want that as their solution. In fact, many of them view immigration, particularly from opportunistic Chinese nationals, as very problematic: https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/24794819432049

Don't they have 2D > 3D culture goin' on there?

Japan every time this headline pops up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJrEzNNtsRs

LordYeezus posted...

Don't they have 2D > 3D culture goin' on there?

Not every Japanese person is an otaku.

archizzy posted...

It would probably do the earth good to decline by a few billion

Earth? Sure. The people that have to live through it? Not so much.

Zikten posted...

It's supposedly very hard to become a Japanese citizen. I've always heard it's almost impossible and only a handful of people each year ever are accepted

They have recently relaxed restrictions on who can become a citizen & how long it takes but I don't know if it's "easy" or just less hard than it used to be.

archizzy posted...

It would probably do the earth good to decline by a few billion people. Everyone freaks out about stagnant and declining birthrates in certain areas but the world population is 8 billion people+ and increases every year. The planet has basically doubled in my lifetime.

Its good for the planet but not a country. Particularly Japan in this case.

Whose declining birthrate can lead to long term consequences as its workforce, taxs and able bodied youths decline to the point that it can no longer function.

Prismsblade posted...

Its good for the planet but not a country. Particularly Japan in this case.

Whose declining birthrate can lead to long term consequences as its workforce, taxs and able bodied youths decline to the point that it can no longer function.

There also seems to be growing tensions between the older and younger generations.

Japan has the right idea.

tag me in, coach

Tyranthraxus posted...

They have recently relaxed restrictions on who can become a citizen & how long it takes but I don't know if it's "easy" or just less hard than it used to be.

Maybe they should make it even easier