Japan's births fell to record low in 2024

TOKYO (Reuters) - The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low of 720,988 in 2024 for a ninth consecutive year of decline, the health ministry said on Thursday, underscoring the rapid ageing and dwindling of the population.

Births were down 5% on the year, despite measures in 2023 by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government to boost child-bearing, while a record number of 1.62 million deaths meant that more than two people died for every new baby born.

Although the fertility rate in neighbouring South Korea rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, thanks to measures to spur young people to marry and have children, the trend in Japan has yet to show an upturn.

Behind Japan's childbirth decline are fewer marriages in recent years, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Takumi Fujinami, an economist at the Japan Research Institute.

Although the number of marriages edged up 2.2% to 499,999 in 2024, that came only after steep declines, such as a plunge of 12.7% in 2020.

"The impact could linger on in 2025 as well," Fujinami said.

Unlike some Western countries, only a few of every 100 babies in Japan are born out of wedlock, suggesting a stronger correlation between marriages and births.

News this week that South Korea's fertility rate rose to 0.75 in 2024 from 0.72 in 2023 suggested the neighbouring nation's demographic crisis might have turned a corner.

In Japan, the most recent data shows the corresponding figure for the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life came in at 1.20 in 2023.

While it was too early for any meaningful comparison between the figures in the two countries, Fujinami warned, it was important for both to improve job opportunities and close thje gender gap to encourage young people to marry and have children.

Experts believe South Korea's positive turn resulted from government support in the three areas of work-family balance, childcare and housing, as well as a campaign for businesses to nudge employees towards parenthood.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Clarence Fernandez)