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Japan is facing what Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called “an extremely severe situation” after the country’s fertility rate fell to its lowest level on record, deepening concerns over long-term population decline.
Speaking during a House of Representatives Budget Committee session on Thursday, Takaichi described the demographic downturn as “a quiet emergency and a vital issue,” according to The Mainichi newspaper.
Takaichi said she had not yet been able to turn around the country’s falling birth rate trend after seven months in office.
“I have only been in office for seven months, and I have not yet been able to dramatically change the trend,” she said.
Her government is seeking to raise take-home pay for young people, aiming to make it easier for those who want to marry and have children. Takaichi also pointed to broader support for parents who are struggling with the demands of raising children.
Japan recorded 671,236 births in 2025, the lowest annual figure since records began in 1899.
The country’s total fertility rate, meaning the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, fell to a record low of 1.14, according to government data.
The figures highlight the scale of Japan’s demographic challenge, as fewer births continue to reshape the country’s population outlook.
Japan’s population stood at just over 123 million in 2025, down by 3.1 million compared with five years earlier, according to data cited by Nippon.
The decline adds to the pressure on the government as it seeks to support younger generations, encourage family formation and respond to the long-running effects of an aging society.
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