Overview
- Government data released June 3 show 671,236 babies were born to Japanese nationals in 2025 and the total fertility rate fell to 1.14, marking the tenth consecutive year of decline.
- Deaths in 2025 totaled 1,589,489, leaving a natural population drop of 918,253 and extending Japan’s streak of yearly natural decline to 19 years.
- The number of marriages rose for a second year to 489,119 and the 25–35 age cohort remained relatively large, which analysts say eased but did not stop the fall in births.
- Fertility varies sharply by prefecture, with Okinawa recording the highest rate at 1.52 and Tokyo the lowest at 0.96, reflecting wide local differences in family formation.
- Despite roughly ¥3.6 trillion in prior family-support spending and local incentives, officials say measures have not meaningfully altered the trend, raising risks of labor shortages, higher pension and health costs, and greater pressure on public finances.