Japan's number of births rises for first time in 11 years

DemographyJanuary-June uptick could signal bottoming out of rapid declines since COVID-19The increase in marriages for the second consecutive year from 2024 is considered to have contributed to the rise in births in Japan. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)ANNA NISHINOAugust 28, 2026 15:29 JSTUpdated on August 29, 2026 00:22 JSTTOKYO -- The total number of births in Japan from January through June was 342,068, up 0.8% or 2,788 births from the same period in 2025, marking the first rise for the first half of the year in 11 years, according to preliminary data released on Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.