去年きょねんの出生しゅっしょう数すう 初はじめて70万まん人にん下回したまわる 出生しゅっしょう率りつも過去かこ最低さいていの1.15

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of Japanese children born last year was just over 686,000, a decrease of more than 41,000 from the previous year, and for the first time since statistics began, the number has fallen below 700,000.

The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman gives birth to, was last year 1.

It has become 15, which is the lowest so far.

It is said that there are multiple reasons for the decline in the number of births, but a decrease in marriages is also pointed out as one of the major factors.

The number of births has decreased for nine consecutive years. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of Japanese children born in the country last year was 686,061, a decrease of 41,227 compared to the previous year.

The number of births has declined for nine consecutive years, and for the first time since statistics began in 1899, it has fallen below 700,000.

The number of births is decreasing in all prefectures.

In the future projection published two years ago by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, it was estimated that the number of births among Japanese people would fall to the 680,000 range in 2039, but the declining birthrate is progressing about 15 years faster than expected.

The number of births among Japanese people was just over 2.69 million during the first baby boom in 1949, which was the highest, but compared to that time, it has now decreased to nearly a quarter.

Additionally, the total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime, was 1 last year.

It becomes 15, and 0 from the previous year.

It dropped by 0.5 points, reaching the lowest level since statistics began in 1947.

The lowest was 0 in Tokyo.

At 96, Miyagi Prefecture is 1.

00, Hokkaido is 1

It is shown as 01, etc.

The highest was in Okinawa Prefecture, with 1.

54, followed by Fukui Prefecture with 1

46. Tottori Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, and Miyazaki Prefecture: 1

It is something like 43.

*Prefectural birth rates are listed in the latter part of the article. On the other hand, the number of deaths last year was 1,605,298, an increase of 29,282 from the previous year, marking a record high.

As a result, the natural decrease, where the number of deaths exceeds the number of births, reached a record high of 919,237 people an increase of 70,509 compared to the previous year.

In addition, although the number of marriages increased by 10,322 from the previous year to 485,063 couples last year, it has decreased by more than 150,000 couples over the past ten years.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare commented on the number of Japanese births falling below 700,000 for the first time, saying, We believe this is due to the decrease in the younger generation as well as the trend of later marriage and childbirth.

We are in a critical situation where the rapid decline in the birthrate cannot be stopped, and we would like to continue working on measures to address the declining birthrate in the future.

If the declining birthrate accelerates, there is a possibility that public finances may become unsustainable. Professor Wataru Suzuki of Gakushuin University, an expert on the declining birthrate issue, said, If the birthrate declines at a pace faster than expected, there is a risk that the number of people supporting pensions, medical care, and nursing care will decrease, making public finances unsustainable.

Declining birthrate also affects the lives of the elderly, and it is an issue that all generations must confront together.

Young people are already facing a heavier burden due to increases in social insurance premiums and other costs, to the point where they hesitate to have children, and if those costs rise further, their situation will become even more difficult.

Isnt it necessary to have the idea of sharing the burden, for example by having elderly people with assets bear a certain amount of the cost? Professor Suzuki cites the decrease in the number of people getting married as a major factor in the declining birthrate.

When thinking about anxieties about the future, I think the biggest problem for young people today is that they don’t have the emotional capacity for dating or marriage.

Opportunities to meet people at places like work are also decreasing, and since private matchmaking agencies are expensive, there is a concern that a gap will arise between those who can afford to use them and those who cannot.

Marriage support is the key to the nations declining birthrate measures, and it is necessary to fulfill the wishes of young people by utilizing various tools. Lets take a look at the trend in the number of marriages.

When the generation born during the first baby boom 1947–1949 reached their twenties, the number of marriages exceeded one million couples per year, peaking at 1,099,984 couples in 1972.

After that, the number continued to decrease, and in 2020, when the spread of COVID-19 accelerated, there were 525,507 couples, which is 73,500 fewer than the previous year.

Last year, there were 485,063 couples, an increase from the previous year, but over the past ten years, the number has decreased by more than 150,000 couples.

Why do young people stay single? According to the 2021 National Institute of Population and Social Security Researchs Basic Survey on Birth Trends, when unmarried people aged 25 to 34 were asked multiple answers allowed why they remain single, the most common answer for both men and women was Because I havent met a suitable partner yet. For women, 48...

1%, men: 43

It has risen to 3%.

Next, Because I dont want to lose the freedom and ease of being single was chosen by 31% of women and 26% of men.

6%: Because I dont feel the need to get married yet—29% among women

3%, male, 25

It is 8%.

In the past, arranged marriages were the mainstream and accounted for more than half of all marriages, but since then, love marriages, such as meeting at work or being introduced by friends, have increased, and in the 1960s, the proportion of arranged marriages was surpassed.

The percentage of love marriages peaked at 88% in the 2010 survey, but then began to decline, dropping to 74% in the 2021 survey.

It is 8%.

On the other hand, recently there has been an increase in cases where people meet through the internet, such as on social networking sites and matching apps, and according to a 2021 survey, 15

It was 1%.

Furthermore, the proportion of arranged marriages was also 5% in the 2010 survey.

It decreased to 3%, but in the 2021 survey, it was 9.

It is 8%.

Cases of choosing marriage agencies are increasing—more young people are choosing marriage agencies as a place to meet potential partners.

At a marriage agency in Minato, Tokyo, the number of users—mainly young people in their 20s and 30s—is reportedly increasing.

The day I conducted the interview, there were also people in the office having consultations.

Of these, a 28-year-old woman living in Tokyo began looking for a marriage partner this February.

She says she works at an NGO providing international aid, hopes to be posted overseas in the future, and also wants to have a child before that, which is why she registered with a marriage agency.

The woman said, In my daily life, I just go back and forth between work and home, so I hardly ever have a chance to meet new people.

I often hear people say that its hard to have a family if you prioritize your career, but I want to have children and build a solid career as well, she said.

Also, a 27-year-old man living in Tokyo registered with the consultation office in January.

A man working at a consulting firm has an annual income of about 5 million yen.

I used to look for a marriage partner on matching apps, but I found it difficult to meet someone whose values about work and life matched mine.

The man said, I thought I could meet better people if I was active while I was still young, so I signed up.

I’m busy with work, so I want to value time efficiency as well, they said.

According to a report by IBJ, a major matchmaking service to which this agency also belongs, the number of male members in their 20s who newly joined last year was 3 compared to five years ago.

About three times as many, and women are about one.

It has increased ninefold.

Marriage agency Naresome Prep School Director Chihiro Katsukura says, It seems that workplace romances are decreasing these days. I hear stories of people who start looking for marriage partners in their thirties and struggle, so I feel that more people in their twenties are becoming aware that they need to act early. Local governments are also moving to support marriage activities. Across the country, local governments are increasingly offering support for marriage activities as part of measures to address the declining birthrate.

According to the Children and Families Agency, as of February last year, when they asked all 47 prefectures nationwide about the status of measures to address the declining birthrate, 41 had held matchmaking events, and 37 were operating marriage support centers.

Of these, Ehime Prefecture established a marriage support center as a prefectural project in 2008, and through events and matchmaking, 1,611 couples have gotten married so far.

In an effort to increase opportunities for people to meet, the prefecture became the first in the nation to introduce a matchmaking system utilizing AI—artificial intelligence—ten years ago.

AI will search through big data to find more potential matches that seem suitable for that person.

For example, lets say a man browses through information, finds a woman he likes, and applies, but gets rejected.

Normally, that would be the end, but this system has more to it.

Men who chose the same woman in the same way—that is, people with similar preferences—are grouped together, and you can also get recommendations for other women chosen by those men.

Furthermore, it will also find people who seem to like that person.

As a result of increasing opportunities for people to meet like this, the rate of successful arranged meetings has reportedly more than doubled compared to before the introduction.

In addition to matchmaking, the center also offers “Osekkai” support, where volunteers help men and women who have met to smoothly progress in their relationships.

Volunteers first attend the matchmaking meeting where the man and woman meet for the first time, providing topics for conversation and helping to create a relaxed atmosphere to bring the two closer together.

After that, I regularly keep in touch with both of them, offering advice and support to ensure their relationship progresses smoothly while checking in on their feelings.

Ms. Mieko Yamamoto 73, who has been volunteering for 15 years, says she strives to support and encourage men and women who lack self-confidence.

For example, a woman in a couple who has been dating for six months consulted, saying, I want to greet each others parents, but Im afraid hell think Im rushing him into marriage, so I havent been able to tell him.

Mr. Yamamoto advised, It might be good to casually invite them by saying something like, Do you want to come over to my place? without being too formal.

On the other hand, she would send emails to the man, such as Have you started talking about the future? to encourage the progress of their relationship, and it is said that this led the couple to marriage.

Mr. Yamamoto said, For proactive people, just watching over them is enough, but for quiet people, its sometimes necessary to give them a push.

I was really happy to be able to help someone, they said.

Mr. Daichi Ito 28 and Ms. Chie Ito 31, who met through the center’s activities and got married this January, feel that this kind of volunteer “meddling” also led to a relationship where they started thinking about marriage.

Chie said, Since its a municipal initiative, I felt reassured and registered.

Having a matchmaker gave me a sense of security, knowing I could consult them if I had any problems, and I really appreciated that.

I said, Im happy to have a husband as my family.

The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman gives birth to, is declining in countries around the world.

According to the summary by the OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average total fertility rate among its 38 member countries in 2023 was 1.

43, which is 0 compared to the previous year

07 points decrease

In 10 years, zero

It has dropped by 25 points.

The lowest by country is South Korea, with 0.

At 72, in 1970, 4

It was 53, but in 2018 it fell below 1, and it has continued to decline since then.

Next, in Spain, 1

12, 1 in Poland

16, 1 in Chile

17, in Lithuania 1

18. In Japan *as of 2023 and Italy, 1

Its 20.

The highest was in Israel, at 2.

89, followed by 1 in Mexico

91, 1 in France

66, 1 in Colombia

It was 65.

In France, which is said to have a relatively high total fertility rate in Europe, in 1995, 1

Although it dropped to 73, in 2019, 1

It has risen to 86.

However, after that, it has declined again.

Prefectural Total Fertility Rate