The total fertility rate and number of births in Japan both fell for the eighth consecutive year in 2023 to hit fresh record lows, government data showed Wednesday, reflecting a rise in individuals choosing to marry later in life or not at all.The total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is estimated to bear in her lifetime -- fell to 1.20, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1947, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The previous low was 1.26 in 2005 and 2022.The number of babies born in Japan in 2023 also fell by 43,482 from the pr…READ FULL ARTICLE
