Official figures released by the Japanese Health Ministry on Tuesday revealed a significant decline in the number of births in Japan last year, reaching a record low of 758,631.

This marks a 5.1% decrease from the previous year, indicating a concerning trend in Japan's demographic landscape.

The drop in births, amounting to 41,000 fewer newborns compared to the previous year, represents the largest gap recorded since such data has been documented.

This decline below the 760,000 mark has occurred much earlier than anticipated, as forecasted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which had projected such a decline to happen by 2035, the Kyodo news agency reports.

Read more: Japan faces a double challenge: an aging population, reclusiveness

In the late 1940s, the country experienced a baby boom, resulting in nearly 2.7 million births. A similar boom occurred in the 1970s. However, since then, Japan's population has been steadily declining, with the birth rate dropping below 1 million in 2016.

The first time Japan took notice of its low fertility rates was in 1989 when the country's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) was found to be 1.57, much lower than the 2.1 needed for a population to sustain itself.

Japan's "biggest crisis"

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday said that the ongoing decline in the birth rate has reached a "critical state."

"The period over the next six years or so until 2030s, when the younger population will start declining rapidly, will be the last chance we may be able to reverse the trend," he said. "There is no time to waste."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has described the low birth rate as "the biggest crisis Japan faces," and has proposed a set of measures aimed at providing increased support and subsidies, primarily targeting childbirth, children, and their families.

However, some observers express skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the government's initiatives, as they have predominantly focused on individuals who are already married or have plans for children, without adequately addressing the concerns of a growing segment of young people who are hesitant to pursue such life choices.

Read more: Japanese gov't to adopt measures to raise birth rate