The number of births in Japan in 2024 is set to fall below 700,000 for the first time after government data showed Friday that the figure for the first 11 months of the year dropped 5.1 percent to 661,577.The figure underscores a trend in Japan where more people are choosing not to marry or delaying marriage, partly due to concerns about child-rearing amid rising living costs. The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are also thought to have had an impact.The preliminary data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for births from January to November includes foreigners.…READ FULL ARTICLE