Japan logs record low new birth numbers in 2020

The number of babies born in Japan hit a new record low last year, official data showed, highlighting concern over the pandemic’s impact on one of the world’s lowest fertility rates.

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In 2020, the greying country saw 840,832 births, according to data released Thursday by the health and labour ministry.

Politicians have expressed concern that the population of the world’s third-largest economy is shrinking faster than ever, with couples hesitant to reproduce as the pandemic fuels financial instability and fears over hospital trips.

A declining number of births is a common trend among rich nations, and Japan has long been searching for ways to encourage a baby boom.

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Its giant neighbour China this week announced it will allow couples to have three children after a census showed its population is also rapidly ageing.

Japan’s net decline in population, 531,816, was a record high while the birth rate — the average number of children a woman has — declined to 1.34, the data showed.

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The number of marriages, 525,490, also hit a low not seen since the end of World War II, while the number of divorces also declined.