Nearly a million more deaths than births in Japan last year
Almost a million more deaths than births were recorded in Japan last year, representing the steepest annual population decline since government surveys began in 1968.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described the demographic crisis of Japan's ageing population as a "quiet emergency", pledging family-friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work hours.
New data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024.
Japan recorded 686,061 births - the lowest number since records began in 1899 - while nearly 1.6 million people died, meaning for every baby born, more than two people died.
It marks the 16th consecutive year of population decline with the squeeze being felt by the nation's pension and healthcare systems.
The number of foreign residents reached a record high of 3.6 million people as of 1 January 2025, however, representing nearly 3% of Japan's population.
