Number of births in Japan hits record low in 2023

A family spending time outdoors. Illustration photoo by Freepik

The number of births fell 5.1% from a year earlier to 758,631, while the number of marriages slid 5.9% to 489,281 - marking the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000 - foreboding a further decline in the population as out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan.