Declining birthrate

Declining birthrate

An intersection in Shibuya. Japan’s population woes mirror broader global patterns. Photo: Kentaro Takahashi/Bloomberg

Japan's population plunges by half a million in 14th straight annual fall

The overall population dropped by 550,000 from the previous year to 123.8 million in 2024, extending the streak of declines to 14 years

(L to R) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul pose for the cameras during the 11th Trilateral Foreign Minister’s Meeting (Japan-China-ROK) in Tokyo on March 22, 2025, Japan. Photo: Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool via REUTERS

Japan, China, South Korea meet at geopolitical 'turning point in history'

A couple prepares to participate in a staged mass wedding, organised as part of a matchmaking event to inspire singles to get married, in a suburban area of Shanghai May 18, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File photo

Marriage registrations in China drop for the first nine months of 2024

A child plays with sand near a couple taking part in a pre-wedding photoshoot on a beach in Qingdao, Shandong province, China April 21, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo

China launches survey to understand 'fear of having children'

People walk near the Red Square with St. Basil's Cathedral seen in the background in Moscow, Russia July 1, 2024. Photo:REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo

Russia's birth rate slides to lowest in quarter century in 2024