The number of babies born in Japan has fallen for an eighth straight year to a fresh record low in 2023, preliminary government data shows, underscoring the daunting task the country faces in trying to stem depopulation.
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The number of births fell 5.1 per cent from a year earlier to 758,631, while the number of marriages slid 5.9 per cent to 489,281 - the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000 - foreboding a further decline in the population as out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan.
Asked about the data, Japan's top government spokesperson said the government would take "unprecedented steps" to cope with the declining birthrate such as expanding child care and promoting wage hikes for younger workers.
"The declining birthrate is in a critical situation," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Tuesday.
"The next six years or so until 2030, when the number of young people will rapidly decline, will be the last chance to reverse the trend."
Mindful of the potential social and economic impact, and the strains on public finances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called the trend the "gravest crisis our country faces" and unveiled a range of steps to support child-bearing households in late 2023.
Japan's population will likely decline by about 30 per cent to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.
Australian Associated Press
