TOKYO - Japan's fertility rate reached a record low of 1.20 in 2023, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1947, government data showed Wednesday.

The total fertility rate, the average number of births per woman during her reproductive years, went down 0.06 point from the final figure for 2022, declining for the eighth straight year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

With 1,575,936 deaths reported last year, the natural decline in the population expanded by 6.3 percent to 848,659, marking a decrease for 17 straight years since 2007

The rate dropped in all 47 prefectures across Japan. By region, Tokyo logged the lowest figure of 0.99, falling below 1.0 for the first time, while the southern prefecture of Okinawa saw the highest rate of 1.60.

The number of Japanese babies born last year came to 727,277, down 5.6 percent, or 43,482, from a year earlier and was the lowest since statistical records began in 1899, the data showed.

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With 1,575,936 deaths reported last year, the natural decline in the population expanded by 6.3 percent to 848,659, marking a decrease for 17 straight years since 2007.

Health ministry officials said the declining birth rate is in a critical situation, adding that the period until the 2030s, when the young population is expected to drop sharply, will be the last opportunity to reverse the trend.