The number of babies born in Japan continues to decline.

The health ministry says its preliminary demographic data show that 371,052 babies, including foreigners, were born in Japan from January to June this year.

That's down 13,890, or 3.6 percent, from the same period last year. The figure was below 400,000 for a second year in a row, and the lowest since 2000, when the government began to confirm such data.

The number of marriages fell 7.3 percent, to 246,332.

Last year, about 770,747 babies of Japanese nationality were born in the country, dipping below 800,000 for the first time since record-keeping began in 1899.

At the current rate, the number could fall further this year.

The Children and Families Agency says the data clearly show the serious situation of the country.

Agency officials say a key factor behind the decline is a rise in the number of people staying single or getting married late.

The officials say they will take measures intensively to prevent an anticipated sharp fall in the number of people in their 20s and 30s in the 2030s.