More than 20,000 children were born to non-Japanese couples, accounting for more than 3% of all newborns
The number of babies born to foreign parents reached a record high in Japan in 2024, underlining rapid demographic changes that have propelled migration to the heart of the country’s political debate.
More than 20,000 children were born to non-Japanese couples, accounting for more than 3% of all newborns, according to the health ministry – in stark contrast to another sharp fall in the number born to Japanese parents.
The number and proportion of foreign newborns were both record highs, the Nikkei business newspaper reported, adding that the children were “starting to help dent the decline in births among Japanese people”.
Japan is one of the fastest-ageing countries in the world and has struggled to raise its birthrate to the level needed to sustain the population, which currently stands at about 125 million.
