Japan’s fertility rate matches record low as it drops for seventh consecutive year
Japan’s fertility rate fell to a record-tying low of 1.26 in 2022, declining for the seventh straight year, according to health ministry data released Friday.
The total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman will give birth to in her lifetime — was down from 1.30 the year before and on par with a record low marked in 2005, the data showed.
The number of newborns last year, however, reached a record low at 770,747, down 40,875 from 2021. It also marks the first time for the number of newborns to fall below 800,000.
The latest statistics come amid heightened efforts by national and local governments to to reduce the barriers that may be preventing people from getting married and starting families.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/02/national/2022-birthrate-record-low/
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