Japan’s Prime Minister Announces ‘Last Chance’ Plan to Reverse Declining Birthrate

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a late-night press conference during the G-7 Summit Leaders's Meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 19, 2023. Japan Pool/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images

Japan’s leader unveiled a plan on June 13 to reverse the country’s falling birth rate, warning that the nation has entered its “last chance” period to address the crisis and avoid facing a “shrinking” society.

“Now is the last chance to reverse the downtrend in childbirth by the 2030s,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference.