In Japan, Fewer Births, Marriages a Cause for Concern

The number of babies born in Japan last year fell to a new low for an eighth straight year, government data shows. In addition, the number of marriages continues to drop.
政府数据显示，去年日本出生人口数量连续第八年降至新低。此外，结婚人数继续下降。

The Health and Welfare Ministry reported Tuesday that 758,631 babies were born in Japan in 2023. That represented a 5.1 percent decline from the year earlier. It was the lowest number of births since Japan started recording the statistics in 1899.
日本厚生福利省周二报告称，2023年日本共有758631名婴儿出生。这比去年同期下降了5.1%。这是自1899年日本开始统计以来出生人口最低的一次。

The number of marriages fell by 5.9 percent to 489,281 couples, falling below a half-million for the first time in 90 years. Fewer marriages are one of the reasons for fewer births. Having children outside of marriage is rare in the East Asian country.
结婚人数下降了5.9%，降至489281对，近90年来首次降至50万对以下。结婚人数减少也是出生人数减少的原因之一。在东亚国家，婚外生子的情况很少见。

Opinion studies show that many younger Japanese do not want to marry or have families. They note the lack of good jobs and high cost of living as reasons. Some say the working culture in Japanese businesses makes it hard for both parents to work. Young parents say they often feel isolated as people do not want to hear crying babies or children playing outside.
民意调查显示，许多日本年轻人不想结婚或成家。他们指出原因是没有好工作以及生活成本高昂。有人说，日本企业的工作文化让父母双方都感觉工作艰难。年轻的父母说，他们经常感到被孤立，因为人们不想听到婴儿哭声或孩子在外面打闹。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi called the ongoing declining birth rate "critical." He said, "The period over the next six years or so until (the) 2030s, when the younger population will start declining rapidly, will be the last chance we may be able to reverse the trend."
日本内阁官房长官林芳正称持续下降的出生率“非常严重”。他说，“在未来六年左右的时间里，直到21世纪30年代，年轻人口将开始迅速下降，这将是我们扭转这一趋势的最后机会。”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the low birth numbers "the biggest crisis Japan faces." He has introduced several measures to give financial support for childbirth, children, and their families.
日本首相岸田文雄称低出生率是“日本面临的最大危机”。他推出了几项措施，为分娩、儿童及其家庭提供经济支持。

But experts say they doubt whether the government's efforts will work because they have largely centered on people who already are married or are planning to have children. The measures do not deal with a growing population of young people who are not getting married or planning to have a family.
但专家称他们怀疑政府的措施是否有效，因为这些措施主要集中在已经结婚或计划生育的人身上。这些措施并没有针对越来越多的没有结婚或计划组建家庭的年轻人。

The number of births in Japan has been falling for 50 years after a peak of about 2.1 million. The decrease to a yearly number below 760,000 has happened faster than expected. Experts had predicted that it would take place by 2035.
日本出生人口在达到210万左右的峰值后，近50年来一直在下降。出生人口下降到每年76万以下的速度远超预期。专家们曾预测这个数字将在2035年出现。

Japan's population of more than 125 million is expected to drop to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people at age 65 or older.
日本超过1.25亿的人口预计将在2070年降至8700万，并且其中每10人就有4人年龄在65岁或以上。

A shrinking and aging population has a big effect on the economy and national security. Recently, Japan lost its spot as the world's third-largest economy, falling behind Germany.
人口的萎缩和老龄化对经济和国家安全有很大影响。最近，日本失去了世界第三大经济体的地位，掉到了德国后面。