A government survey shows Japan had a record-low number of births from January through June this year.

The health ministry says its preliminary figures show that 350,074 babies, including foreign nationals, were born in the six months.

That is down 20,978, or 5.7 percent, from the same period last year.

The number of births was below 400,000 for the third year in a row, and the lowest since the government began record-keeping in 1969. Compared to the figure in 2014, the number dropped by 29 percent.

If the number of births continues to decline at the current rate in the latter half of 2024, the yearly figure could hit a record low.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages from January through June increased by over 2,000 from the same period last year to nearly 250,000. But the figure was down more than 80,000 from the number in 2014.

Ministry officials say the number of births could continue to fall over the mid-to-long term, with the younger population shrinking as well as marrying and having babies later. They also attribute the decline to the drop in the number of marriages during the coronavirus pandemic.

The officials pledge to tackle the declining birthrate, as the situation is critical.