Overview
- Government estimates, released Monday by the Internal Affairs Ministry, put children under 15 at 13.29 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year earlier.
- Children now make up 10.8% of Japan’s population, the lowest share since comparable records began in 1950.
- Older children outnumber toddlers, with 3.09 million ages 12–14 versus 2.13 million ages 0–2, showing fewer recent births entering the population.
- Preliminary health ministry data show 705,809 births in 2025, a record low and the tenth straight annual decline.
- A United Nations comparison ranks Japan second lowest in child share among countries with at least 40 million people, just above South Korea at 10.2%.