The number of marriages in Japan last year fell below half a million for the first time in 90 years, according to preliminary data from the government.
The health ministry said on Tuesday that 489,281 marriages were registered in 2023, down 30,542, or 5.9 percent, from the previous year.
The last time less than 500,000 couples married was in 1933, when 486,058 couples tied the knot.
In 1899, when the government began recording this statistic, the number of marriages was 297,372.
When postwar baby boomers, who were born between 1947 and 1949, were in their 20s, the annual number of marriages exceeded 1 million. The figure hit a record high of 1,099,984 in 1972.
In 2020, 525,507 marriages were registered amid the coronavirus pandemic, down 73,500 from the previous year. There were 504,930 marriages in 2022.
The health ministry said on Tuesday that 489,281 marriages were registered in 2023, down 30,542, or 5.9 percent, from the previous year.
The last time less than 500,000 couples married was in 1933, when 486,058 couples tied the knot.
In 1899, when the government began recording this statistic, the number of marriages was 297,372.
When postwar baby boomers, who were born between 1947 and 1949, were in their 20s, the annual number of marriages exceeded 1 million. The figure hit a record high of 1,099,984 in 1972.
In 2020, 525,507 marriages were registered amid the coronavirus pandemic, down 73,500 from the previous year. There were 504,930 marriages in 2022.
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Summary
Marriage rates in Japan have dropped to below half a million for the first time in 90 years, according to preliminary government data. In 2023, only 489,281 marriages were registered, a decrease of 5.9% from the previous year. The last time fewer than 500,000 couples married was in 1933. This
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ID: 8244aca4-9b3d-423e-9cd8-463f2d74b213
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240227_27/
Date: Feb. 27, 2024
Created: 2024/02/28 06:30
Updated: 2025/12/08 17:10
Last Read: 2024/02/28 09:00