The nation's birthrate in 2001 is expected to hit a record low of 9.3 births per 1,000 people, according to a government survey released Monday.
The number of newborn babies is expected to reach 1,175,000, down 16,000 from the year before. Japan's birthrate came in second-lowest in a comparison with other industrialized countries, according to the survey.
The number of couples who married in 2001 is estimated at around 803,000, up about 5,000 from the year before to stay above the 800,000 level for the first time in 24 years, according to annual estimates made by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.