Fewer Children in Japan

May 5, 2026, 13:53
AsiaSociety

Introduction

Japan has very few children now. The number of children is the lowest in history.

Main Body

There are 13.29 million children aged 15 and under. This number goes down every year. It has gone down for 45 years. There are more 14-year-olds than 2-year-olds. In 2025, only 705,809 babies were born. This is a record low. Japan has one of the lowest percentages of children in the world. Only South Korea is lower. The government gives money to parents, but it does not help. The government wants to fix this by 2030.

Conclusion

The number of children in Japan is very low and continues to fall.

Learning

📉 The 'Down' Pattern

In this story, we see how things change over time. For an A2 learner, the most important part is seeing how the author describes a drop.

Look at these phrases:

  • "This number goes down every year"
  • "It has gone down for 45 years"
  • "Continues to fall"

The Logic: If something is decreasing, you can use Go down (Simple/Regular) or Fall (Stronger).

Quick Shift:

  • Present: It goes down. (It happens every year)
  • Past/Continuing: It has gone down. (It started in the past and is still true)

Comparing Sizes: Notice the word Lower. Low →\rightarrow Lower

  • "Japan has one of the lowest percentages"
  • "Only South Korea is lower"

Use Lower when you compare two things (Japan vs. South Korea).

Vocabulary Learning

Japan (n.)
A country in East Asia.
Example:Japan has many beautiful temples.
children (n.)
Young people who are not adults.
Example:Children love to play outside.
number (n.)
A count of how many.
Example:The number of students is 30.
low (adj.)
Small in amount.
Example:The price is low.
year (n.)
A period of 12 months.
Example:I will travel next year.
government (n.)
The group that runs a country.
Example:The government made new rules.
money (n.)
Currency used to buy things.
Example:She saved money for a trip.
parents (n.)
The mother and father of a child.
Example:Parents help their children.
help (v.)
To give assistance.
Example:Can you help me?
fix (v.)
To repair something.
Example:He will fix the broken chair.
continue (v.)
To keep doing something.
Example:She will continue studying.
fall (v.)
To drop down.
Example:Leaves fall in autumn.
record (n.)
A written or remembered fact.
Example:She set a new record.
world (n.)
The planet Earth.
Example:The world is large.
million (n.)
A number equal to one thousand thousand.
Example:There are 13.29 million children.
aged (adj.)
Old or having a certain age.
Example:The aged man walked slowly.
under (prep.)
Below or inside something.
Example:The ball is under the table.
lower (adj.)
Smaller in amount.
Example:The temperature is lower today.
percentages (n.)
Amounts expressed as parts of a whole.
Example:The percentages of people are shown.