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Manila Bulletin devider World devider 1st-Half Births in Japan Rise for 1st Time in 11 Years

1st-Half Births in Japan Rise for 1st Time in 11 Years

Published Aug 29, 2026 10:39 am
A file photo shows a neonatal room with incubators at a hospital in Japan.
A file photo shows a neonatal room with incubators at a hospital in Japan.
Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)--The number of births in Japan rose in the first half of the year for the first time in 11 years, health ministry data showed Friday in a sign that the figure’s rapid decline is ending.
The preliminary data showed that the number of births in the January-June period edged up by 2,788, or 0.8 pct, from a year before to 342,068, still below 400,000 for the fifth consecutive year. The rise may have reflected increases in marriages in 2024-2025.
The number of births by Japanese nationals in Japan stood at 671,236 in 2025, marking a record low for the 10th straight year, according to data released in June. The size of decrease shrank to 2.2 pct from around 5 pct since 2022, however.
The number of marriages grew by 418 to 238,979 in the first six months of the year, while that of divorces fell by 3,578 to 90,177.
Deaths totaled 778,982. The natural decrease in the population, or the number of deaths minus that of births, was 436,914.
The preliminary data includes births by foreigners in Japan and those by Japanese nationals who live overseas. Revised data, which will be disclosed later, only counts births by Japanese nationals who live in the country.
The annual number of births in Japan has been on a declining trend since 1975. It went below one million in 2016 and fell below 700,000 in 2024.

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