Let's Diminishing

The number of babies born in Japan in 2006 likely increased by 23,000 from a year earlier to 1,086,000, marking an upturn for the first time in six years. The nation’s total fertility rate (TFR), or the average number of children born to a woman aged between 15 and 49, hit a record low of 1,26 in 2005. It is expected to have risen to around 1,29 in 2006. The estimates are based on preliminary figures of the number of births and deaths registered at municipal offices between January and October. Despite the increase of births for the entire year, the annual total would be the second-lowest following the all-time low of 1,062,530 in 2005. The number of deaths is estimated to have reached 1,092,000, which will surpass the births by 6000. A ministry official attributed the increase in the number of births to improved employment conditions due to recovery in the economy that resulted in more women getting married in their late 20s. The natural population decrease, derived by subtracting the number of deaths from births, came to an estimated 6,000, marking the second straight year of decline. The population shrank for the first time in 2005. With thanks to Seichi Matsuura