June 4, 2026
A news announcement released yesterday by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare caught the attention of many people.
The total fertility rate for 2025 was 1.14. This represents a further decline of 0.01 points from the previous year’s rate of 1.15, marking the 10th consecutive year that the rate has hit a new record low. The number of births was 671,236, the lowest figure since records began in 1899.
Many of you may be thinking, “Another record low?” But before we simply dismiss this figure as a “societal problem,” I’d like us to pause for a moment and reflect on something.
The “Personal Circumstances” Behind the Numbers
The figure of 1.14 for the birth rate is a macro-level statistic. But behind that number lie the individual circumstances of people who wanted to have children but couldn’t, those who want to have children but haven’t taken the first step yet, and those who have given up, thinking, “It’s impossible for me.”
When we use the term “declining birthrate,” the conversation inevitably tends to turn to policy and social structures. But the reality of the declining birthrate is the result of a series of individual choices.
Why couldn’t they have children? Why didn’t they have them? If we examine the reasons carefully, we see that “because they couldn’t get married” isn’t a sufficient explanation on its own.
Although the number of marriages is increasing, the birth rate continues to decline.
What stands out in this data is the fact that the number of marriages has increased for two consecutive years. In 2025, there were 489,119 marriages, a 0.8% increase from the previous year.
Even though more people are getting married, the birth rate is falling.
How should we interpret this contradiction? Experts have pointed out that “even if the number of marriages recovers, the number of children per couple is declining.” The decline in the birth rate among married couples is emerging as a new factor contributing to the low birthrate.
In other words, we have reached a point where the traditional notion that “increasing the number of marriages will raise the birth rate” is no longer sufficient to address the declining birth rate.
The assumption that “you should have children after getting married” is being called into question
The replacement fertility rate (the birth rate necessary to maintain the population over the long term) is 2.07. The current rate of 1.14 is less than half of that.
Many of the measures the government has implemented to bridge this gap have been discussed as a package of “support for marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing.” The approach is to encourage marriage and make it easier for married couples to have children.
However, the reality is that the number of people who don’t—or can’t—get married is on the rise. We live in an era where the unmarried rate at age 50 stands at 28% for men and 18% for women. And even among married couples, the number of children they have is declining.
The very premise that “people have children after getting married” is gradually beginning to diverge from the reality of society.
Toward the Concept of “A Society Where Those Who Want to Have Children Can Do So”
I’d like to pose a question here.
"How many cases are there where people who want to have children are unable to do so?"
In Japan, the option of having children without a partner—bypassing the marriage market—is still largely unrecognized. While the term “selective single mother” (SMC) is gaining traction, the information, systems, and support needed to actually make this a reality lag far behind those in Western countries.
Overseas, the number of single women having children through sperm banks or sperm donation is already on the rise. In Denmark and the United States, giving birth through sperm donation is by no means uncommon.
In Japan, too, there must be a significant number of women who want to have children but have given up on the idea because they “don’t have a partner” or “haven’t gotten married.” I believe that letting these women know there are “other options” could be one aspect of addressing the declining birthrate. That is my view.
The Unique Situation in Japan Where the Option of “Births Outside of Marriage” Is Not Gaining Traction
An international comparison clearly illustrates the unique nature of Japan's declining birthrate.
A common feature among European countries with relatively high birth rates—such as France, Sweden, and Denmark—is that they all have a high proportion of children born out of wedlock (children born to unmarried parents). In France, more than 60% of all births are to unmarried parents.
In contrast, the percentage of children born out of wedlock in Japan is about 3 percent—a figure that is notably low among developed nations.
This difference isn’t because “Japanese people love to get married.” It’s because there are significant social and institutional barriers to having children out of wedlock. Legal treatment, the complexity of administrative procedures, and the judgmental stares of others… The barriers to having a child while unmarried remain substantial in Japan.
Discussing “measures to address the declining birthrate” without lowering this barrier will not lead to a fundamental solution.
The Social Implications of Sperm Donation as an Option
I continue to be involved in sperm donation out of a personal desire to help. But at the same time, it’s also because I believe that “expanding the options available to those who want to have children” is meaningful for Japanese society as a whole.
Every additional woman who chooses to become a single mother results in one more birth. When an FTM transgender person has a child through sperm donation, that also counts as one birth. The same is true for couples whose partner has azoospermia and who are able to have a child through sperm donation.
I believe that rather than supporting only the single path of “married couples having children,” moving toward a society where “those who wish to have children can do so” in a variety of ways is a realistic approach to addressing the issue of the declining birthrate.
Don't let the numbers sway you; think about "your own choices"
Many people view the news that the birth rate is 1.14 as a “social problem.” But if there are any readers of this article who want to have children but haven’t been able to take that first step for whatever reason, there’s just one thing I want to tell you.
Your desire for something is no reason to give up.
Because you don't have a partner. Because you haven't gotten married yet. There are now options available that mean you don't have to give up on having children for those reasons.
Start by simply learning more. Having information isn't the same as making a decision—it just broadens your options.
On this site, we welcome inquiries about sperm donation even if you’re still in the “undecided” stage. Whether you’ve been moved by news about the declining birthrate or are simply thinking vaguely about having children, please feel free to reach out to us at any stage of your journey.
Click here to contact us via LINE Click here for the contact form
Summary
- The total fertility rate in 2025 was 1.14, marking a new record low for the 10th consecutive year. The number of births was 671,236, the lowest since records began.
- Although the number of marriages has increased for two consecutive years, the birth rate has declined. The average number of children per couple is decreasing.
- The assumption that “people should have children after getting married” is beginning to diverge from the reality of society.
- At about 3%, Japan's rate of children born out of wedlock is exceptionally low among developed nations. Progress in establishing systems and environments that allow people who want to have children to do so has been slow.
- Sperm donation to single mothers by choice, LGBTQ individuals, and couples with azoospermia is one way to expand the options available to those who wish to have children.
- Before reporting on the declining birthrate as a “social problem,” I hope people will use it as an opportunity to reflect on “their own choices.”
Related Articles
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- To those of you thinking, “Is it too early?”—What I Want to Tell Women in Their 20s and 30s Who Are Starting to Consider Sperm Donation
- Sperm Donation vs. Adoption and Foster Care: What’s the Difference? A Comprehensive Comparison of Options for Having Children