2005 may see Japan's population shrink for the first time, according to health ministry figures released Tuesday.
The population fell by 31,034 people in the January-June period, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report, which points to a contraction in the annual figure if the trend continues.
The number of deaths totaled 568,671 in the first half of the year, while the number of babies born came to 537,637.