Japan's population is shrinking at its fastest pace. It's been declining for seven consecutive years.
A health ministry survey shows that about 1,031,000 babies were born in 2013. That's down 6,000 from the previous year and the fewest since the end of the war. In contrast, around 1,275,000 people died last year. That's an increase of about 19,000 since 2012. It's the largest number in one year since after the war. These figures show Japan's population dropped by more than 240,000 last year.
Ministry officials say the population is projected to further decrease. The nation is aging, and the number of women of childbearing age is falling.
◆shrink 減少する
◆consecutive 連続した
◆project 予測する、見積もる
◆age 高齢化する
◆childbearing 出産
