Number of children drops for 26th straight year

Japan Today

Saturday, May 5, 2007

TOKYO — The number of children below 15 in the nation came to 17.38 million as of April 1 for the 26th straight year of decline, accounting for a record-low 13.6% of the population, according to an internal affairs ministry population estimate released Friday.

The number was 140,000 lower than last year, and the children's share of the population declined for the 33rd straight year, according to the survey, which was released ahead of Children's Day on May 5, a national holiday. The number of boys and girls below 15 decreased by 70,000 each from last year to 8.91 million and 8.47 million, respectively, according to the estimate.

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