Japan births rise 0.8% in Jan.-June, 1st increase in 11 years

TOKYO - The number of children born in Japan in the first six months of 2026 rose 0.8 percent from a year earlier to 342,068, marking the first increase for the January-June period in 11 years, health ministry data showed Friday.

The figure, which includes births to foreign nationals, marks an increase of 2,788 from the same period in 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.