Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Japan is witnessing a steady decline in its child population, deepening the intergenerational gap and casting a spotlight on the nation’s growing demographic crisis.
Every year before Children’s Day on May 5, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases its latest estimates of the child population, a tradition that started in 1950 and has been reported every year since the early 1980s.
As of April 1, government figures show 3.09 million children aged 12 to 14, but only 2.13 million toddlers aged 0 to 2, a stark sign that birth rates are continuing to fall.
The ministry reports only 13.29 million children under 15, down 350,000 from last year. This is the 45th year in a row of decline and the lowest number ever recorded.
Children now make up only 10.8 percent of Japan’s population, a 0.3-point drop from last year and the smallest share since records started in 1950.
Since reaching a postwar high in 1954, Japan’s child population has fallen every year since 1982. Even with increased financial support for families, the downward trend shows no sign of stopping.
This ongoing decline is causing concern about Japan’s future, as fewer young people remain to support a rapidly aging population, putting the country’s long-term stability at risk.
