Number of Japanese Births Falls for Tenth Successive Year in 2025
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A Decade of Decline
Preliminary demographic statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare show that in 2025 there were 705,809 births in Japan, a year-on-year decrease of 15,179. This marked a tenth consecutive year of decline. In 2022, the total dipped below 800,000 for the first time since records were first kept in 1899, and it is now on track to fall below 700,000. The decline in the number of women in their childbearing years and the slump in marriages during the COVID-19 pandemic are thought to be core factors.
The preliminary statistics include figures for foreigners living in Japan and Japanese nationals living abroad, whereas the final statistics (to be announced in June) will be lower as they are based only on the number of Japanese nationals living in Japan.
Japan’s Demographics
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | 705,809 | 720,988 |
| Deaths | 1,605,654 | 1,618,684 |
| Natural population change | –899,845 | –897,696 |
| Marriages | 505,656 | 499,999 |
| Divorces | 182,969 | 189,952 |
Created by Nippon.com based on demographic statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Statistics for both 2024 and 2025 are preliminary estimates.
In 2025, the number of deaths decreased for the first time in five years, falling by 13,030 to 1,605,654. The natural population decline, which is the difference between the number of births and deaths, rose slightly to a new record of 899,845.
During the first baby boom (1947–49), the number of annual births in Japan reached 2.5 million, and births per year exceeded 2 million during the second baby boom (1971–74). Since then, the number has consistently declined, without a spike in births when the second baby-boom generation reached the age to have their own children. The number of births dropped below the number of deaths for the first time in 2007, and the natural population decline has subsequently continued to increase.
While the number of marriages rose by 5,657 to 505,656 in 2025, it remains historically low. Given Japan’s disapproving attitude toward premarital or extramarital pregnancies, the number of births is unlikely to rebound as long as the number of marriages shows no significant increase.
Data Sources
- Demographic statistics (Japanese) from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © PhotoAC.)