New Births Mark Record Low

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released the vital statistics in 2024. Japan marked the fewest live births and biggest number of deaths last year, causing ever largest natural decrease of its population. Although the government of Japan has been taking intensive policy to deal with decline of young population, the newest statistics showed insufficiency of governmental support for young generation.

The total live births in Japan in 2024 was 720,988. It was 37,643 lesser than 2023, marking 5.0 percent of decrease from the previous year. The deaths increased by 28,181 from 2023 to 1,618,684. More than two people died while a new baby was born. It indicates that more old agers died in this highly aged society and young people do not increase to recover the decline of population.

 

Natural change shows serious situation of Japanese population. Natural decrease of population, which means gap between live births and deaths, was 897,696 in 2024, marking the highest record. The natural change of Japanese population has been showing decline for consecutive eighteen years. Live births have been declining for recent nine years and deaths been increasing for four years.

 

Low fertility can be brought by few marriages. Total marriages in Japan in 2024 were 499,999 couples, increasing by 10,718 (2.2 percent) from the previous year. On the other hand, divorces also increased by 2,154 (1.1 percent) to 189,952. Although marriages increased with slight margin, it does not seem to be leading to increase of natural change in population. There are various reasons why young couples do not give births.

 

It is likely that urban area is preferable for the people to recover the decline in natural change. The deaths in Tokyo or Osaka are less than two times high of live births. However, the number of deaths in Hokkaido is 3.27 times higher than live births. It gets higher in Kochi to 3.56 times. Excluding the element of moves from one place to another, the rural area seems to be suffering from negative condition for giving birth.

 

Fumio Kishida administration delivered “different dimensioned” measures against low birth rate in 2023, based on policy package called “acceleration plan.” It included expansion of allowance for the families with child or promotion of going to kindergarten to help working mothers. The government accumulated budget for supports on college tuition, on leave from office for raising kids, or on improvement of condition for workers in nurseries.

 

However, those governmental measures have not been working for stopping decline of birthrates. Helping the people to raise kids does not necessarily help young couples get married. Hard working with low real wage deprives young people of hope for having their own family. COVID-19 decreased opportunities for going out. Looking for partner, having a family and giving some births is not a standard quality of life these days.

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