Baabda: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned on Thursday that the country's record-low fertility rate reflects 'an extremely severe situation,' as Japan grapples with a deepening demographic decline. Speaking at a House of Representatives Budget Committee session, Takaichi described population decline as 'a quiet emergency and a vital issue,' according to The Mainichi newspaper.

According to Anadolu Agency, Takaichi has been in office for seven months and acknowledged that she has not yet been able to dramatically change the trend. She expressed her government's commitment to raising take-home pay for young people to facilitate marriage and childbearing, while also expanding support for parents facing the challenges of raising children.

Japan recorded 671,236 births in 2025, marking the lowest annual figure since records began in 1899. The country's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, fell to a record low of 1.14, according to government data. Japan's population stood at just over 123 million in 2025, a decrease of 3.1 million from five years earlier, as reported by Nippon.com.