Updated on Tuesday, May 05, 2009, 00:00 IST

Tokyo, May 05: The number of children aged under 15 is estimated to have totaled 17.14 million in Japan as of April 1, marking a record low for the 28th straight year due to the declining birthrate, according to a government report.

The report by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, released yesterday, showed that children's share of the population was 13.4 percent, declining for the 35th consecutive year.

The latest figures continue to show the country is experiencing a declining birthrate and an aging population. As of April 1, the proportion of people aged 65 and older was 22.5 per cent of the population. The data also showed that the percentage of children in the Japanese population was the lowest among the 31 countries listed in the United Nations demographic yearbook as having a population of at least 30 million.

Japan fell below Germany, where children accounted for 13.9 percent of the population, and Italy, where the proportion was 14.1 percent. The government report showed there were 8.78 million boys and 8.35 million girls in Japan as of April 1.

Bureau Report