Tokyo: The number of births in Japan experienced an increase in the first half of the year for the first time in 11 years, according to health ministry data released on Friday. This rise offers a sign that the rapid decline in birth figures may be coming to an end. The preliminary data indicates that the number of births in the January-June period rose by 2,788, or 0.8 percent, compared to the previous year, reaching 342,068 births. Despite this increase, the number of births remained below 400,000 for the fifth consecutive year. This rise in births might be linked to an uptick in marriages during 2024-2025.

According to Philippines News Agency, the number of births by Japanese nationals in Japan hit a record low of 671,236 in 2025, marking a record low for the tenth consecutive year. However, the rate of decline has slowed to 2.2 percent, compared to approximately 5 percent since 2022. Furthermore, the number of marriages saw a slight increase, growing by 418 to 238,979 in the first six months of the year, while divorces decreased by 3,578, totaling 90,177.

The data also highlighted that deaths reached 778,982, resulting in a natural population decrease of 436,914, which is calculated by subtracting the number of births from the number of deaths. The preliminary figures include births by foreigners in Japan and Japanese nationals residing overseas, whereas the revised data, to be released later, will only account for births by Japanese nationals living in the country.

Japan has seen a declining trend in annual births since 1975, with numbers falling below one million in 2016 and dropping below 700,000 in 2024.