Japanese parents are less likely to have more children than parents in other countries because they are expensive to raise and educate, an international survey conducted by the government says.

The Cabinet Office survey of adults in five countries found that only 42.6 percent of Japanese parents with children said they want more kids, painting a grim picture at a time when the birthrate is already at a record low.

Japan ranked lowest among the five nations surveyed, with 81.1 percent of parents in Sweden saying they want more children, compared with 81.0 percent in the United States, 69.3 percent in France and 43.7 percent in South Korea.