Number of Children in Japan Falls for 45th Straight Year

May 05, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The number of children in Japan continued its long-term decline, with those aged 15 and under falling by 350,000 from a year earlier to a record low of 13.29 million as of May 4th, just ahead of Children’s Day, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The decline marks the 45th consecutive year of decrease, underscoring the country’s deepening demographic challenges as birth rates remain low.

Children now account for just 10.8% of Japan’s total population, a figure that ranks as the second lowest among 38 countries with populations exceeding 40 million, placing Japan just above South Korea.

The data highlights the continued shrinking of Japan’s younger population, raising concerns over the long-term sustainability of the workforce and social security systems in the years ahead.

Source: テレ東BIZ

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