Japan survey finds most unmarried people under 30 don’t want kids
Over 60 percent of unmarried young people in Japan said they do not want children, according to a 2025 survey which showed a 56.6-percent increase from the previous year.
Despite the government’s efforts to reverse the record low birth rate in the country, a December poll conducted by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. showed that 62.6 percent among 400 Japanese between 18 and 29 are reluctant to have children, as they cited concerns over finances and career development.
Social media and other online posts about pregnancy and child-rearing also make them anxious about having kids, the respondents said.
Some 64.7 percent of women are unwilling to have children, according to the poll. For the first time since 2020 when the survey started collecting answers by gender, this topped the rate for men, which stood at 60.7 percent in the latest survey.
Those hoping for a childfree lifestyle have been on the rise since 2020 when the ratio was 44.0 percent. The figure exceeded 50 percent for the first time in 2023 to 55.2 percent.
Childcare allowances
A Rohto spokesperson said the results showed the need for society and the workplace to provide support for young people even before they have children, helping them gain appropriate knowledge about childbirth.
To raise the birth rate, the government plans to expand childcare allowances and benefits for those on parental leave, among other measures.
However, these efforts have yet to bear fruit. According to health ministry data, the number of children born in Japan in 2025 fell to 705,809, marking a record low for the tenth consecutive year.
