Birth In Japan Drops To A New Lowest Record, Dating Apps Expected To Turn Things Around

JAKARTA - Japan's fertility rate, which has seen a drastic decline over the years, has again hit record lows as the government stepped up efforts to encourage the younger generation to get married and start a family and even launch their own dating apps.

The country of 123.9 million people recorded only 727,277 births last year, according to new data released by the Ministry of Health, Manpower and Welfare on Friday. The fertility rate is defined as the total number of births experienced by a woman throughout her life down from 1.26 to 1.20.

In order for a population to remain stable, a fertility rate of 2.1 is required. The above number will lead to an increase in the population, with most children and young adults, as seen in India and many African countries.

But in Japan, fertility levels are well below the stable figure of 2.1 for half a century, experts say the figure fell below that after the 1973 global oil crisis pushed the economy into recession, and never recovered.

This downward trend has accelerated in recent years, with the number of deaths that exceed the number of births each year and causing the total population to shrink with widespread consequences for the workforce, economy, welfare systems and social order in Japan.

In 2023, the country recorded 1.57 million deaths, according to the Ministry of Health more than double the number of births.

Japan was also unlucky in terms of marriage the number of marriages fell by 30,000 years ago, while the number of divorces increased.

Experts say the decline is expected to continue for at least decades and to some extent irreversible due to the country's population structure.

Even if Japan wants to increase its fertility rate tomorrow, its population will continue to decline until the ratio between the young population and the elderly population is balanced.

However, the government is now vying to reduce its impact by launching new government agencies that are focused on dealing with this issue.

The government has launched initiatives such as expanding child care facilities, offering housing subsidies to parents, and in several cities, and even paying couples to have children.

In the capital Tokyo, local officials are trying a new way, launching a government-run dating app, which is in the early testing phase and will be fully operational by the end of this year.

"Please use this as the "first step" to start the wedding hunt," the app's website said, adding that the AI matchmaking system was provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Users are asked to follow a value diagnostic test' but there is also an option to include the desired properties of future partners.

"Based on your values and the values you are looking for from a partner, which can be determined by conducting diagnostic tests, AI will introduce you to a suitable person," he said. Unmeasurable from appearance or condition.

This app even caught the attention of billionaire Elon Musk, who wrote on X, I'm glad the Japanese government is aware of the importance of this problem. If radical action is not taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!

Experts told CNN this scenario is unlikely to occur fertility levels are expected to be the same at a time, and the country will make adjustments. Japan may look very different at the time, from its demographic arrangement to its domestic economy and policies, but this country will not just disappear.

Marriage is a decision that is based on a person's values, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is trying to build momentum for marriage so that those who think they are "intending to get married in the end" can take the first step, the dating app website says.