Japan’s Child Population Hits Record Low for 44th Consecutive Year

Japan’s child population has declined for the 44th year in a row, hitting a new record low as the country continues to grapple with its ongoing demographic crisis, according to government data released Sunday.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that the number of children under the age of 15 dropped by 350,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 13.66 million as of April 1.

This marks the lowest figure since the government began compiling comparable statistics in 1950.

Children now make up just 11.1% of Japan’s total population, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from last year, and the lowest ratio ever recorded.

The data was published ahead of Japan’s national Children’s Day holiday on Monday and underscores the urgent challenges facing the country as it attempts to reverse its declining birth rate and support an aging population.

According to United Nations data, Japan currently has the second-lowest percentage of children among 37 countries with populations over 40 million, surpassed only by South Korea, where children represent just 10.6% of the total population.

The steady decline in Japan’s child population continues to place growing pressure on the nation’s social welfare systems, workforce, and economic sustainability.

Efforts by the government to boost birth rates through policy incentives and family support programs have so far failed to stem the demographic downturn.