Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun 
Newborn infants are shown lying in hospital beds.
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According to preliminary figures from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of children born in Japan in 2024, including foreign nationals, was 720,988. That marked a new low for the ninth year in a row. In June, the ministry will announce the approximate number of births limited to Japanese citizens. That statistic is expected to drop below 700,000.
In fact, births are declining at a pace 15 years faster than the government had projected. The number of marriages increased to 499,999 in 2024, up from 2023. However, that is still the second lowest level in the postwar period. Because few children are born out of wedlock in Japan, a decrease in the number of marriages greatly impacts the number of births.
The government must take the situation seriously.
Overcoming the Barriers
Many young people are hesitant to have children due to financial concerns. Therefore, employment stability and income improvement for young people must be advanced steadily.
The government has compiled a "Plan to Accelerate Support for Children and Childrearing" based on the "Future Strategy for Children." It has already started implementing some measures included in the plan, such as expanding child allowances.
Starting in April, a new system for parental childcare leave will go into place. Under it, if both parents take childcare leave for 14 days or more, they can receive benefits equivalent to 100% of their pre-leave take-home pay.
Men's Participation in Childcare
According to a ministry survey, the percentage of men taking childcare leave rose from 17.1% in FY2022 to 30.1% in FY2023, exceeding 30% for the first time. However, a significant gender gap remains, as the corresponding figure for women rose to 84.1%.
Reasons for the declining births include a rise in the number of unmarried people and late marriages. The tendency for the burden of child rearing to be borne by wives, often referred to as "single parenting," continues to exist. This is a major factor in preventing women from entering the workforce and increasing their income. It also reduces their desire to have children. We would like to see enthusiastic use of the new system that takes effect in April and encourage men to participate in childcare.
An Aging Society
One thing we should not forget is the fact that the number of people aged 75 and over will continue to increase. The number of deaths among Japanese in 2024 increased for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 1,618,684. Meanwhile, the "natural decrease," calculated by subtracting the number of births from the number of deaths, was 897,696. Both were record highs.
By the end of 2024, all the baby boomers had marked their 75th birthday. The number of deaths is expected to continue to rise, even as population decline accelerates. Japan's labor shortage is worsening, and depopulation in rural areas is also progressing.
We urge the Ishiba Cabinet to propose concrete measures quickly to achieve an increase in births.
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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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