Japan’s birth rate fell to a new low for the eight straight year in 2023, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. A government official described the situation as critical and urged authorities to do everything they can to reverse the trend.
The data underscores Japan's long-standing issues of a rapidly aging and shrinking population, which has serious implications for the country's economy and national security — especially against the backdrop of China's increasingly assertive presence in the region.
