Critical Situation in Japan: Unprecedented Measures Announced to Boost Birth Rates

Japanese authorities will implement "unprecedented measures" to support increasing the birth rate, which has plummeted to a level that puts the country "on the brink of being unable to sustain societal functions," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated in parliament. His remarks were quoted by the Japan Times.

“In 2022, the birth rate in Japan fell below 800,000, while the population continues to decline,” the Prime Minister noted. To illustrate, Kishida referenced the "baby boom" of 1973, when around 2.09 million children were born in the country.

Declaring the increase of births as the "main priority" of his administration, the Japanese Prime Minister promised to present a program by June 2023 to double budget allocations to support families with children. “Policies concerning child and childcare are the most effective investment in our future,” Kishida stated during his address today.

On Thursday, January 19, a government meeting discussed "unprecedented measures" for boosting birth rates, attended by representatives from the ministries of social security, education, and finance, as well as the Agency for Family and Children. It was decided to develop a specific list of measures by the end of March.

“We want to remove ministerial barriers and propose bold, unprecedented projects,” stated Masanobu Ogura, the Minister of State for Fertility Measures and Children's Policy.

Earlier, on January 4, the Prime Minister announced that the government plans to increase child benefits provided to parents and caregivers. Currently, these payments amount to 15,000 yen ($115) per month for children under three years old, and 10,000 yen ($76.5) per month until children finish junior high school.

Last autumn, the Japanese government reported a record low birth rate for 2022. At that time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno noted that “population growth is slowing even faster than last year,” and described the situation as a "critical one." He further clarified that from January to September 2022, 599,636 children were born in Japan, a 4.9% decrease compared to the same period in 2021.

Despite Japan being the third-largest economy in the world, the cost of living is high, and wage growth has been quite slow, limiting the impact of state support measures on the demographic situation. The population continues to decrease steadily, with projections indicating it may fall to 86.7 million by 2060. Simultaneously, Japanese society continues to age.