TOKYO: The number of babies born in Japan, as well as to Japanese expatriates in the January to June period, fell by 5.7 per cent from a year earlier to 350,074, government data showed Friday, as the number of marriages continues to decline amid shifting values.
According to Kyodo News Agency, the pace of decrease in births for the first half of 2024 accelerated to 3.6 per cent from the same period last year, preliminary data by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare showed.
The data include figures for Japanese nationals living abroad and foreigners residing in Japan.
If the declining trend continues, the number of births for the full year, excluding foreigners, could fall below 700,000 for the first time.
- Bernama, Kyodo
