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In the fiscal year 2023, approximately ** induced abortions were reported in Japan. The number declined compared to almost 182,000cases recorded in fiscal year 2014, continuing an overall downward trend over the past decade.   

Abortion in Japan

Usually, early-stage abortions in Japan are performed using surgical methods such as curettage or suction. Suction remains by far the most common method for terminating pregnancies. However, in 2023, Japan approved the use of an oral abortion pill, called Mefeego, which can be used for pregnancies up to nine weeks of pregnancy. It is expected that the oral abortion method will be used more often as it poses less risk of complications compared to surgical methods. 

Japan’s low fertility rate

The number of live births has been continuously decreasing in Japan. The fertility rate kept declining as well, falling to **** in recent years. Consequently, the government has kept increasing its budget for measures related to fertility decline, with the budget nearly doubling over the last decade. The main factors contributing to the declining fertility rate in Japan include growing economic pressures as well as shifting social values, such as a greater focus on female career development. Such changes may have played a part in delayed marriage and a decline in births among married couples.