Japan's Birth Rate Fell To Record Low In 2020 Amid COVID-19: Reports

Japan has been struggling with a looming demographic crisis for years, with its birth rate continually declining -- raising concerns of the aging population and shrinking workforce.

The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low last year, as more couples put off marriage and starting a family amid a global pandemic, said reports. Japan has been struggling with a looming demographic crisis for years, with its birth rate continually declining -- raising concerns of the aging population and shrinking workforce. According to the Health Ministry of Japan, the number of births fell to 8,40,832 in 2020, down 2.8 per cent from a year earlier and the lowest since records began in 1899. The CNN reported that the number of registered marriages in Japan fell 12.3 per cent last year to 5,25,490, a post-war record, the ministry said. The country's fertility rate, the expected number of births per woman, declined to 1.34 per cent, among the lowest in the world.