The Japanese government says the number of babies born last year dropped below 700,000 for the first time since record keeping began in 1899, 15 years earlier than predicted.

日本政府表示，去年出生的婴儿数量自1899年有记录以来首次跌破70万， 比预期提前了15年。

The health ministry said there were 686,061 births to Japanese nationals in 2024. That's down 41,227 from the previous year. The number has fallen for nine years in a row.

日本厚生劳动省表示，2024年日本国民的新生儿数量为686061人。 比2023年减少了41227人。 该数字已连续九年下降。

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had estimated that the figure would drop to the 680,000 level, 15 years later in 2039.

日本社会保障和人口问题研究所之前曾预测，15年后的2039年，这一数字将降至68万。

The ministry says the number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime fell to a record low of 1.15 last year, down 0.05 points from 2023.

厚生劳动省表示，一名妇女在育龄期可能生育的平均子女数去年降至1.15，创历史新低， 比2023年下降了0.05个百分点。

The ministry attributed the decline in birth to a smaller population of childbearing age and the tendency to marry and have children later in life, expressed a sense of crisis about the situation and said it would continue with measures to stem the decline.

厚生劳动省将出生率下降归因于育龄人口减少以及晚婚晚育的趋势， 并对这一形势表达了危机感，表示将继续采取措施遏制出生率下降。

素材来源：iYuba