Japan’s child population drops for 45th year to record low of 13.29 million

Japan’s child population has fallen for the 45th consecutive year, dropping to a record low of 13.29 million as of April 1, government data showed on May 4, underscoring the country’s deepening demographic challenges.

The number of children under the age of 15 declined by 350,000 from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Caliber.Az reports via Japanese media.

Children now account for 10.8 per cent of the total population, down 0.3 percentage points year-on-year and the lowest level since comparable records began in 1950.

The figures, which include foreign residents and are based on national census estimates conducted every five years, come ahead of Japan’s Children’s Day holiday on Tuesday.

Despite successive government measures aimed at tackling the declining birthrate – with policymakers describing the period through 2030 as a “final opportunity to reverse the trend” – the downward trajectory has persisted for more than four decades.

By gender, there were 6.81 million boys and 6.48 million girls. By age group, 3.09 million children were aged 12 to 14, compared with 2.13 million aged 0 to 2, indicating a continued decline in births.

Preliminary data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare showed that the number of births in 2025 fell to a record low of 705,809, marking the 10th consecutive annual decline.

Japan’s child population has been shrinking since 1982, after peaking at 29.89 million in 1954. A second baby boom occurred between 1971 and 1974, but has not been sustained.

The proportion of children has also declined for 52 consecutive years since 1975. According to United Nations survey data, Japan has the second lowest share of children among 38 countries with populations above 40 million, behind South Korea at 10.2 per cent.