Japan’s imported baby boom spotlights a political and demographic timebomb

<p>Rise in births to non-Japanese comes as politicians keep dodging the choice between economic decline and a more diverse population</p><p>This week brought encouraging news for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/japan">Japan</a>’s long battle to defuse its demographic timebomb: in 2024, the number of babies born to one sector of the population rose to a record of more than 22,000 – that’s about 3,000 more than the previous year and a 50% increase on a decade ago.</p><p>But none of the women who answered calls – <a href="https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15503088">invariably issued by conservative male politicians</a> – to have more children were Japanese.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/15/japans-imported-baby-boom-spotlights-a-political-and-demographic-timebomb">Continue reading...</a>