According to a report by Japan’s Kyodo News, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research released the results of its Basic Survey on Birth Trends on the 11th. The findings show that over 30% of unmarried individuals aged 18 to 34 do not wish to have children—a record high since comparable data collection began in 2002.
Regarding the desired number of children, the average was 1.3 for men and 1.36 for women, both marking historic lows. These figures indicate a continuing decline in the desire to have children among the younger generation, a trend that threatens to further exacerbate the issue of a shrinking birth rate.