Link: Births in Japan hit record low for January to June period

The health ministry reported a 5.7% decrease in births in Japan for the first half of the year, the lowest ever recorded number at 350,074.

The number of first-half births has been less than 400,000 for three straight years, with the declining pace increasing from last year's 3.6% drop.

If a similar trend continues in the second half of 2024, the annual birth total could drop below 700,000 - a first for the country.

Conversely, the number of marriages grew by 0.9% to 248,513, the first increase in two years.

However, the number of deaths rose by 1.8% to 811,819, leading to a natural population decrease of 461,745.

The yearly birth total dropped below 800,000 for the first time in 2022, and fell to a historical low of 727,277 in 2023, while fertility rate also hit a record low of 1.20 in the same year. #

--

Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.