１～６月の出生数３８万人　初の４０万人割れ、コロナ影響―厚労省

　今年上半期（１～６月）の出生数は、前年同期比２万８７人（５．０％）減の３８万４９４２人になったことが１日までに、厚生労働省の人口動態統計（速報）で分かった。２０００年以降最少で、初めて４０万人を下回った。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で将来を不安視し、結婚や妊娠を控える傾向にあったことが影響したとみられる。（2022/09/01-09:13）

The number of babies born in Japan in January-June fell by 20,087 from a year earlier to 384,942, hitting the lowest level since 2000 and standing below 400,000 for the first time on record, a preliminary health ministry report has shown.
   The decline is believed to reflect people tending to avoid marriage and pregnancy due to uncertainties about the future amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
   The monthly number of births grew from a year before in January but decreased from February to June.
   The number of couples who got married in the first half of the year edged up by 243 to 265,593.
   The first-half number of deaths came to 777,213, up 48,269, with the country facing a natural population decline, or the number of deaths minus that of births, of 392,271.