Japan‘s child population has declined for the 38th year in a row and is now at a record low, the government said.
The number of children younger than 15 stood at 15.22 million on April 1, down 180,000, or 1.2 per cent, from last year, the Statistics Bureau said.
It is the lowest number since comparable data became available in 1950.
The figures were released ahead of Children’s Day on 5 May.
Japan’s birthrate has remained low amid a lack of support for working women, who continue to face the burden of homemaking and other traditional roles, as well as excessively long working hours and high education costs.