Japan's population fell to 123 million in 2025, a drop of more than 3.1 million from the 2020 census — the largest five-year decline since the country's national survey began in 1920 and more than triple the decrease recorded in the previous five-year period. The preliminary census results, released Friday, mark the third consecutive survey showing a population fall, prompting the government's top spokesman, Minoru Kihara, to warn that demographic decline is "deepening." Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates, with the number of births falling for a tenth consecutive year in 2025 to just over 705,000, and efforts by authorities to encourage marriage and childbirth — including subsidies, dating apps, and parental leave support — have had limited impact.