Revised census data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on 31st October 2006, shows that Japan's population as of 1st October 2005 was 22,000 lower than estimated. The census also estimates that the population has fallen by another 18,000 as of October 2006.

Big regional gaps occur, with population falling in most areas, except the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. However, the number of Japanese under 15 was only 17.52 million, or a record low of 13.7% of the population.

Marriage

The number of unmarried women from 25 to 34 years old rose, meaning a lower fertility rate. However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported that the number of marriages started to increase in the summer of 2005, and that new births have started to increase in 2006.

All of this has led the government to say that it will be difficult for it to meet its pension obligations, perhaps meaning that pension benefits will fall below 50% of the take-home pay of the average male worker.

A government white paper on Japanese society, released 1st December 2006, states that by 2050 every senior would be supported by only 1.5 workers. The report says, "Japan has become a depopulating society," and goes on to call for a "reform of the awareness of the entire society" to support mothers. It also calls for a "reform of working styles" by businesses to help workers balance career and child raising, and cites the efforts of the local government of Fukui prefecture, where fertility rates rose last year.

Lack of Males

In another report, the percentage of male births has been shown to be steadily declining since the 1970s. It has now fallen from a ratio of 1.071 males per female birth in 1971, to 1.052 in 2004.

While environmental factors are thought to be partly responsible, researchers have been asked to study the situation further.

While there are regional differences, the reasons are hard to understand. Both Tokyo, the world's major metropolis, suffered a decline in male births, as did the northern island of Hokkaido, a largely rural environment. In other rural areas, the number of male births increased.

This decline in male births also seems to be occurring in many developed countries.