Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Summary of Results

(1) Natality

With regard to trends in live births and live birth rates, live births have been decreasing after the peak of 2.11 million persons in 1973 during the second baby boom. They reached 1.1 million persons in 2006, decreased by about 1 million persons during 33 years.

Live birth rates have been on a downward trend after they showed 19.4 in 1973 during the second baby boom. However, in 2006, they exceeded the figure in the previous year, showing 8.6 (Figure 1, Table 1).

Figure 1. Trends in live births and live birth rates, 1955-2006

Table 1. Trends in live births by sex and live birth rates, 1955-2006

Year Live births (persons) Live births rates
(per 1,000 population)
Total Male Female
1955 1 746 299 897 797 848 502 19.6
1960 1 619 175 831 572 787 603 17.3
1965 1 837 476 942 493 894 983 18.7
1970 1 947 944 1 007 462 940 482 18.8
1975 1 914 707 985 995 928 712 17.1
1980 1 588 632 817 410 771 222 13.6
1985 1 437 375 738 257 699 118 11.9
1990 1 229 044 630 863 598 181 9.9
1995 1 197 427 613 907 583 520 9.5
2000 1 202 761 618 374 584 387 9.5
2001 1 182 499 607 135 575 364 9.3
2002 1 165 466 598 744 566 722 9.1
2003 1 134 767 582 568 552 199 8.9
2004 1 122 344 575 533 546 811 8.8
2005 1 073 915 550 879 523 036 8.4
2006 1 104 862 566 692 538 170 8.6

Observing trends in live birth rates by age group of mother, they decreased among mothers who are in their 20s, and increased among mothers who are in “ages 35-39” and “ages 40-44”. In addition, in 2006, live birth rates exceeded figures in the preceding year among mothers, except for those who are in “ages 15-19” (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Yearly comparison of live birth rates by age group of mother, 1990, 1995,
2000, 2005 and 2006

Note: Live births used for “ages 15-19” include those for 14 years old or younger.

Regarding trends in live births according to legitimate child or illegitimate child, the proportion of legitimate children has been demonstrating a downward trend, and, in contrast, that of illegitimate children has been demonstrating an upward trend (Table 2).

Table 2. Trends in live births and percent distribution by legitimate child and
illegitimate child, 1992-2006

Year Live births (persons) Percentage (%)
Total Legitimate
child		 Illegitimate
child		 Total Legitimate
child		 Illegitimate
child
1992 1 218 265 1 203 688 14 577 100.0 98.8 1.2
93 1 197 900 1 183 161 14 739 100.0 98.8 1.2
94 1 248 850 1 232 728 16 122 100.0 98.7 1.3
95 1 197 427 1 181 152 16 275 100.0 98.6 1.4
96 1 217 925 1 200 572 17 353 100.0 98.6 1.4
97 1 203 888 1 184 958 18 930 100.0 98.4 1.6
98 1 215 754 1 196 198 19 556 100.0 98.4 1.6
99 1 189 774 1 169 014 20 760 100.0 98.3 1.7
2000 1 202 761 1 180 950 21 811 100.0 98.2 1.8
01 1 182 499 1 159 437 23 062 100.0 98 2
02 1 165 466 1 141 055 24 411 100.0 97.9 2.1
03 1 134 767 1 110 364 24 403 100.0 97.8 2.2
04 1 122 344 1 097 480 24 864 100.0 97.8 2.2
05 1 073 915 1 049 688 24 227 100.0 97.7 2.3
06 1 104 862 1 079 043 25 819 100.0 97.7 2.3

Observing combined parent nationalities, according to the nationality of the mother, the percent distributions are particularly high for children who have mothers possessing the nationality of Philippines or Thailand, and Japanese fathers (Table 3).

Table 3. Live births and percent distribution by nationality of father and mother, 2006

Nationality of
mother		 Total Nationality of father Illegitimate
child
Japan Foreign countries
Total Korea China Philippines Thailand U.S.A. United
Kingd
om		 Brazil Peru Other
foreign
countries
  Live births (persons)
Total 1 104 862 1 060 226 18 817 4 293 3 481 475 110 1 957 447 2 385 622 5 047 25 819
Japan 1 078 634 1 046 186 9 423 2 680 949 145 75 1 635 362 334 141 3 102 23 025
Foreign countries 26 228 14 040 9 394 1 613 2 532 330 35 322 85 2 051 481 1 945 2 794
. Korea 4 385 2 593 1 605 1 527 17 - - 15 2 4 2 38 187
China 6 805 3 925 2 612 40 2 505 4 1 9 8 9 1 35 268
Philippines 6 250 4 998 495 20 3 320 - 27 2 69 11 43 757
Thailand 652 512 60 2 1 - 31 3 2 11 1 9 80
U.S.A. 403 130 256 4 1 1 - 219 7 - - 24 17
United
Kingdom		 112 51 57 - - - - 3 45 - - 9 4
Brazil 3 210 256 1 954 - - 1 1 9 - 1 877 35 31 1 000
Peru 830 99 481 - - 2 - 4 - 49 398 28 250
Other foreign
countries		 3 581 1 476 1 874 20 5 2 2 33 19 32 33 1 728 231
  Percent distribution of father’s nationality by nationality of mother (%)
Total 100.0 96.0 1.7 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.5 2.3
Japan 100.0 97.0 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.1
Foreign countries 100.0 53.5 35.8 6.1 9.7 1.3 0.1 1.2 0.3 7.8 1.8 7.4 10.7
. Korea 100.0 59.1 36.6 34.8 0.4 - - 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.9 4.3
China 100.0 57.7 38.4 0.6 36.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.5 3.9
Philippines 100.0 80.0 7.9 0.3 0.0 5.1 - 0.4 0.0 1.1 0.2 0.7 12.1
Thailand 100.0 78.5 9.2 0.3 0.2 - 4.8 0.5 0.3 1.7 0.2 1.4 12.3
U.S.A. 100.0 32.3 63.5 1.0 0.2 0.2 - 54.3 1.7 - - 6.0 4.2
United
Kingdom		 100.0 45.5 50.9 - - - - 2.7 40.2 - - 8.0 3.6
Brazil 100.0 8.0 60.9 - - 0.0 0.0 0.3 - 58.5 1.1 1.0 31.2
Peru 100.0 11.9 58.0 - - 0.2 - 0.5 - 5.9 48.0 3.4 30.1
Other foreign
countries		 100.0 41.2 52.3 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.9 0.5 0.9 0.9 48.3 6.5

Live births in 2006 were at 1.1 million, of which those of Japanese in Japan were 1.09 million, accounting for 98.9 percent of the total. Furthermore, among live births of Japanese in Japan, those of Japanese mothers were 1.08 million, accounting for 98.7 percent (Table 4).

Table 4. Live births and percent distribution by nationality of father and mother
(Japanese or foreign), 2006

Nationality of
mother		 Total Nationality of father Illegitimate child
Japan Foreign countries
Total 1 104 862 1 060 226 18 817 25 819
100% 96.0%
(97.0)%		 1.7% 2.3%
Japan 1 078 634 1 046 186 9 423 23 025
97.6%
(98.7%)		 94.7%
(95.7%)		 0.9%
(0.9%)		 2.1%
(2.2%)
Foreign countries 26 228 14 040 9 394 2 794
2.4% 1.3%
(1.3%)		 (0.9%) (0.3%)

Notes:

1) Live births of Japanese in Japan: 1,092,674 persons (shaded area)

2) Figures in parentheses indicate percent distributions to live births of Japanese in Japan.
Return To Top