A woman holds a baby in the hot spring town of Arima Onsen on the outskirts of Kobe on Oct 9, 2019. (PHOTO / AFP)

The number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low last year, the health ministry said on Friday, as more couples put off marriage and starting a family amid a global pandemic.

The number of births fell to 840,832 in 2020, down 2.8 percent from a year earlier and the lowest since records began in 1899, the ministry said.

The coronavirus outbreak has hit birth rates around the world, including in the United States, despite early speculation that pandemic-related lockdowns may lead to a global baby boom

ALSO READ: Global baby drought of COVID-19 crisis risks population crunch

The coronavirus outbreak has hit birth rates around the world, including in the United States, despite early speculation that pandemic-related lockdowns may lead to a global baby boom.

READ MORE: In Japan, a court case highlights paternity leave issues

The number of registered marriages in Japan fell 12.3 percent last year to 525,490, a post-war record, the ministry said. The country's fertility rate, the expected number of births per woman, declined to 1.34, among the lowest in the world.