Japan's annual number of births and fertility rate have fallen to record lows, underscoring the country's deepening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and start families, according to media reports.

Government data released this week showed that just over 671,000 babies were born in 2025, nearly 15,000 fewer than the previous year and the lowest since records began in 1899, NHK reported late Friday.

The fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime -- also declined to a record low of 1.14.

The figures mark the tenth consecutive year of falling births and have alarmed experts, who said the decline is occurring much faster than previously forecast.

Government researchers had projected that fertility would not reach such a low level until the 2040s.

A key factor behind the trend is a sharp drop in marriages. Japan recorded nearly 800,000 marriages annually at the start of the century, but that number has fallen to around 500,000.

Since most children in Japan are born to married couples, fewer marriages have contributed to the decline in births.

But despite those factors, surveys show that about 80% of single Japanese still hope to marry.

Experts said changing social patterns have made it harder for people to meet potential partners.

Fewer couples now meet through traditional channels such as workplaces, schools or mutual friends, partly due to remote work and greater concerns about privacy and workplace harassment.

As a result, marriage agencies are seeing renewed popularity, particularly among younger adults seeking more structured and efficient ways to find long-term partners.

Japan's aging and shrinking population remains one of the country's most pressing economic and social challenges. (AA)