News Pandemic results in significant drop in marriages

The number of new marriages in 2020 stood at around 526,000, about 50,000 lower than the projected figure, while the number for 2021 was expected to be about 501,000, some 63,000 fewer than the forecast, the researchers said. The declining trend is predicted to continue in 2022 although there are signs of recovery, with the number of marriages likely to total around 515,000, about 38,000 lower than the projection. The researchers also attributed increased financial stress as among the factors linked to the projected decline. The researchers warned that unless there is a significant increase in the number of births per woman, generally, the decrease in marriages will directly lead to a fall in the number of births. "The social and economic impact of the coronavirus takes time to manifest," Chiba said. "Policymakers need to recognize a crisis is steadily approaching." The number of annual marriages in Japan has been steadily falling since peaking at over 1 million in the early 1970s. The number of births has also been trending downward, with the figure slipping to a record low of about 810,000 in 2021 from its peak at around 2.09 million in 1973.

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