TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The population of children in Japan has decreased to approximately 13.29 million as of April 1, down by 350,000 compared to the previous year, marking a new record low, the Japanese government announced on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The ratio of children under 15 years old has decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 10.8 percent of the total population, also the lowest figure since comparable data was first released in 1950, according to data from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications ahead of the National Children's Day holiday on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, as reported by Antara.
The figure, including foreign residents, is calculated using population estimates based on a national census conducted every five years.
Although the Japanese government has prioritized measures to address the declining birth rate and has set the period until 2030 as the last opportunity to reverse the trend, the decline has continued for 45 years despite efforts such as expanding financial support for households raising children.
Based on gender, there are 6.81 million boys and 6.48 million girls in Japan, according to the data. While based on age, there are 3.09 million children aged 12 to 14, and 2.13 million other children aged 0 to 2 years. These figures indicate a decreasing trend in the number of births.
The number of children born in Japan in 2025, including foreign nationals, reached an all-time low of 705,809, declining for the 10th consecutive year, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
The child population in Japan has been declining since 1982, after reaching its peak in 1954 with a total of 29.89 million, while the second baby boom was observed between 1971 and 1974. The child population ratio has also continued to decline for 52 consecutive years since 1975.
According to a United Nations survey conducted at different times, Japan has the second lowest child population ratio among 38 countries with at least 40 million people. South Korea has the lowest figure at 10.2 percent of its total population.
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