New Delhi, March 3 -- The number of babies born in Japan last year dropped for the ninth consecutive year, reaching a record low, according to data released by the Health Ministry on Thursday.

The sharper-than-expected decline highlights the ineffectiveness of government measures in tackling the nation's rapidly ageing and shrinking population.

Figures from Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry revealed that 720,998 babies were born in Japan in 2024, marking a five per cent decrease compared to the previous year. This is the lowest number of births recorded since the country began collecting such data in 1899.

"We believe the declining birth rate has not been effectively curbed," Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary acknowledged th...