Japan's birth rate has declined for the seventh consecutive year, reaching a record low in 2022, according to the country's health ministry. This ongoing trend emphasizes the sense of crisis that grips the nation as its population continues to shrink and age rapidly. The fertility rate, which represents the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime, was recorded at 1.2565. This figure is even lower than the previous low of 1.2601 recorded in 2005 and falls significantly below the rate of 2.07 which is considered necessary to maintain a stable population.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has made addressing the declining birth rate a top priority. Despite facing high levels of debt, his government plans to allocate significant funding of 3.5 trillion yen ($25 billion) annually for child care and other measures to support parents.

During a visit to a daycare facility, Prime Minister Kishida stated, "The youth population will start decreasing drastically in the 2030s. The period until then is our last chance to reverse the trend of dwindling births."

The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated Japan's demographic challenges. In recent years, the decline in marriages has contributed to fewer births, while the pandemic has been partly responsible for an increase in deaths. The data shows that the number of newborns in Japan decreased by 5% to a new low of 770,747 last year, while the number of deaths rose by 9% to a record high of 1.57 million. More than 47,000 deaths in Japan in 2022 were attributed to the coronavirus pandemic.