Society Record low in births in 2023

In 2023, Japan experienced an eighth consecutive year of declining birth rates, reaching a record low. Preliminary government data revealed that 758,631 babies were born, a 5.1% decrease from the previous year. Simultaneously, marriages declined by 5.9%, falling below half a million for the first time in 90 years. This trend highlights the challenge Japan faces in addressing depopulation. Notably, out-of-wedlock births are uncommon in Japan. In response to this concerning data, Japan's top government spokesperson announced plans for "unprecedented steps," including expanding childcare services and advocating for wage increases for younger workers.

Mindful of the potential social and economic impact, and the strains on public finances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called the trend the "gravest crisis our country faces", and unveiled a range of steps to support child-bearing households late last year. Japan's population will likely decline by about 30% to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Click to expand...

Paywall alert:


Local governments have resorted to AI to counter these trends by organising traditional "konkatsu" matchmaking events with AI sifting compatibilities between potential partners. Even the central government supports such moves as depopulation progresses throughout the country. Subsidies for publicly run AI matchmaking events have been expanding since fiscal 2021. According to the Children and Families Agency, 31 of Japan's 47 prefectures offered AI matchmaking services for finding marriage partners as of the end of March last year, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government joining them in December.

Worried about its declining birthrate and aging population, Ehime Prefecture in western Japan has been using big data to match people with potential partners. The prefecture's system recommends partners based on personal information registered with the marriage support center and the internet browsing history of the person looking for a mate. [...] Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, utilizes the same system. Katsuji Katayanagi of its marriage support center said, "Young people tend to leave things to others to do, so I think we need, occasionally, to ask big data to recommend partners." [...] In Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, where the system was introduced in 2018, 139 couples were married by the end of November last year. Some admit to meeting a person they might not have chosen on their own, with a prefectural official saying the system is "providing for a variety of encounters." Shiga Prefecture launched an online marriage support center in 2022, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, and uses a system similar to the one adopted by Saitama. As of the end of January, 13 couples had decided to get married via the support center. Six of them were with partners introduced by AI.

Click to expand...