Despite an aging population, a total fertility rate of just 1.249, and a falling population, the number of births registered with local authorities between January and June 2006 rose for the first time in six years in Japan.

A report released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MOHLW) in August revealed that 549,255 babies were registered, an increase of 11,618 from the same period in 2005. Furthermore, the number of marriages increased by 10,396 over the first half of the year compared to last year.

A MOHLW official said it was too early to say whether the fertility rate was improving as this depended on the second half of the year.

In addition, a researcher at IPSS said that the government needed to analyze the data to determine whether younger people were having more babies or if people who married in their 30s were now having children.

The economy

In 2002, a survey by MOHLW reported that 40% of permanent male employees aged 20 to 34 were married, contrasting with less than 10% for non-permanent employees.

An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, one of Japan's leading dailies, states that the economic upturn in the country is partly responsible for the rise in births as people feel more secure. It calls on businesses to hire more fulltime employees instead of the recent trend of hiring part-timers, who are cheaper for companies.

At present, one in two workers in the younger generation in Japan is a non-permanent employee.