ANKARA

The Japanese government plans to establish a new body to address the country's declining population, Kyodo News reported on Thursday.

The high-level body, possibly called "Population Strategy Headquarters," is expected to be established later this month and will be led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The new organization will serve as the primary platform for developing and implementing policies to increase birth rates and expand child-rearing support.

Last month, the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, agreed to form a task force to address population decline within the government.

According to government data from August of this year, Japan's national population fell by approximately 908,000, bringing the total to 120.65 million, marking the 16th consecutive year of decline.

Last year, Japan's Diet (parliament) passed legislation aimed at reversing the falling birth rate. Measures enacted by the law include increased child allowances and parental leave benefits.

Late marriages, financial insecurity, and insufficient support for working parents are frequently mentioned as contributing factors.

In 2023, Japan's total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, fell to its lowest level since records began in 1947.