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    Japan's Births Decline To Lowest Number On Record

    The country's natural population declined by more than 500,000 this year. A number of factors have led to Japan's plummeting birth rate and a growing demographic crisis.
    by Laurel Wamsley Dec 24, 2019 2 minutes
    The number of babies born in Japan fell an estimated 5.9% this year, to under 900,000. Here, a baby is held aloft by a sumo wrestler during Tokyo's Nakizumo Festival in April.

    Japan has been trying to increase its birth rate for years, hoping that a youthful boost could offset an otherwise rapidly aging population. It's not working.

    The country's health ministry announced Tuesday that the number of babies born in 2019 fell byan estimated 5.9% this year, to 864,000. It's the first to .

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