TOKYO, Mar 1 (NNN-NHK) – The number of babies born in Japan in 2022 slipped to a record low, falling under 800,000 for the first time, since records began in 1899, the health ministry said, yesterday.
According to preliminary data, released by the health ministry, the total number of births in the country fell by 43,169, or 5.1 percent, from the previous year to 799,728, a new record low, for the seventh consecutive year.
The drop comes much earlier than the government expected. According to a 2017 government forecast, births in Japan would fall below 800,000 for the first time in 2033.
Excluding babies born to foreign residents in Japan, the number of births is estimated to be around 770,000, the data showed.
The data also showed that, the number of deaths in 2022 was up 129,744, or 8.9 percent, to 1,582,033, posting another record high.– NNN-NHK
