This marks the highest level since the poll began in 2018 and the first time the female figure has surpassed that of men.

Rohto Pharmaceutical conducted the online poll of 400 unmarried men and women between ages 18 and 29 in December as part of its annual survey on pregnancy and family planning.

The survey found that a clear majority of all respondents, 62.6%, said they did not want children, compared with just 37.4% who did.

Among unmarried men, the share not wanting children edged up 0.8 percentage points year-on-year to 60.7%. The figure for unmarried women jumped a staggering 11.6 percentage points to reach 64.7%, Japan Times reported.

These findings point to persistent structural challenges across the country, particularly the immense difficulty of maintaining a career while raising a family. Many women reported that balancing professional ambitions with home life remains far too hard to achieve through individual effort alone.

Financial pressure and career disruption were the main roadblocks cited by respondents. When asked about their primary concerns, 63.2% of unmarried men and 71.7% of unmarried women pointed to the high cost of raising children.

Furthermore, the impact on career progression was a major worry, highlighted by 51.2% of men and 61.4% of women.

Women wearing summer kimonos use portable fans as they walk on the street in Tokyo during a festival in June 2022. Photo by Reuters

A separate survey of 800 married individuals aged 25 to 44 who intend to have children revealed similar anxieties. More than half of men (52.0%) and nearly two-thirds of women (64.1%) said concerns about career setbacks weighed heavily on their decision-making.

Additionally, 53.3% of men and 66.8% of women stated they were actively considering changing jobs or roles to better manage their future parenting responsibilities, according to The Mainichi.

Experts argue more robust workplace and policy support systems are essential to enable individuals to build careers and raise children without being forced to choose between the two.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported 705,809 births in 2025, a record low that already includes foreign nationals living in Japan.

This marks a decline of 15,179 births, or 2.1%, from the previous year and the tenth consecutive annual drop since official record-keeping began in 1899.