The number of Japanese births is set to hit its lowest level since record-keeping began over 100 years ago. Demographic experts believe there will be fewer than 670,000 newborns in 2025, falling short of even the government’s most pessimistic targets. The decline poses a challenge for Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as she tries to balance economic growth and restrictions on immigration. Falling birth rates are a trend particularly pronounced in East Asia: in South Korea, the population is expected to fall by two-thirds in the next century, while China’s will be cut in half.
Graphic Truth
Graphic Truth: Japan set for dramatic population decline
By Eileen Zhang,
Eileen Zhang
Natalie Johnson
Natalie Johnson is the Deputy Head of Content at GZERO Media and edits the GZERO Daily newsletter. Her career has spanned producing for broadcast cable news at outlets like MSNBC, VICE TV, and NewsNation, as well as writing for digital media. She's also the creator and co-editor of an anthology called "Black Love Letters," published in 2023 through John Legend's GetLifted book imprint. Natalie studied political science at Scripps College and holds a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University.
