THE ASAHI SHIMNBUN
April 20, 2024 at 18:45 JST
The site of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The small island of Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture was cited by the health ministry as having the nation’s highest fertility rate, which refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to give birth to in her lifetime.
Statistics released April 19 by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare were for 2018 through 2022.
The figure for Tokunoshima was 2.25, followed by Amagi, also in Kagoshima Prefecture, with 2.24, and Ginoza in Okinawa Prefecture with 2.20.
The lowest figure was 0.76 in Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto Prefecture, followed by Naniwa Ward in Osaka Prefecture, and Kamigyo Ward, also in Kyoto Prefecture, both at 0.80.
The top 10 were municipalities in Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, while the bottom 10 were mainly urban areas. The national figure was 1.33.
The statistics are compiled every five years, and this is the eighth time they have been released.
＊＊＊
Top and bottom 10 municipalities (total fertility rate for 2018-22
-High-
(2) Amagi town, Kagoshima Prefecture 2.24
(3) Ginoza village, Okinawa Prefecture 2.20
(4) Nagashima town, Kagoshima Prefecture 2.11
(5) Kin town, Okinawa Prefecture 2.11
(6) Haebaru town, Okinawa Prefecture 2.10
(7) Kumejima town, Okinawa Prefecture 2.07
(8) Miyakojima city, Okinawa Prefecture 2.06
(9) Yaese town, Okinawa Prefecture 2.05
(10) Itoman city, Okinawa Prefecture 2.02
(1) Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto city 0.76
(2) Naniwa Ward, Osaka city 0.80
(3) Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto city 0.80
(4) Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto city 0.82
(5) Moroyama town, Saitama Prefecture 0.83
(6) Chuo Ward, Fukuoka city 0.85
(7) Toshima Ward, Tokyo 0.89
(8) Nakano Ward, Tokyo 0.91
(9) Chuo Ward, Sapporo city 0.91
(10) Hakone town, Kanagawa Prefecture 0.92
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