Japan total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.15 in 2024, government data confirmed on Friday, as the country deepening demographic crisis showed no signs of reversing despite a decade of expensive pro-natalist interventions. The population fell by 800,000 in 2024, the steepest single-year decline on record, with deaths outnumbering births by more than 600,000. Only 726,000 babies were born last year, down from a peak of 2.7 million in 1949.
Prime Minister Kishida pledged a new 30-trillion-yen package of childcare subsidies, expanded parental leave, and affordable housing for young families. Critics argue deep-rooted factors including long working hours, high education costs, and persistent gender inequality in workplaces are the real barriers that money alone cannot solve. Economists warn that without a dramatic increase in immigration or AI-driven productivity, Japan economy will face severe labour shortages by 2035.
