TOKYO: The number of births in Japan last year fell below 700,000 for the first time on record, government data showed on Wednesday (Jun 4).

The fast-ageing nation welcomed 686,061 newborns in 2024 – 41,227 fewer than in 2023, the data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899.

Japan has the world's second-oldest population after tiny Monaco, according to the World Bank.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the situation a "quiet emergency", pledging family-friendly measures like more flexible working hours to try and reverse the trend.

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