Japan records big population decline as births fall

Q: In 2021, Japan recorded its lowest number of births in more than a century, causing the country’s biggest natural population decline since data became available. Where is the Asian island nation of Japan?

Circle the area on this map


Q: Japan had 811,604 births and 1,439,809 deaths last year, a population drop of 628,205. That’s more people than the population of which U.S. state?

A. Alaska

B. Delaware

C. Rhode Island

D. Wyoming

Q: Japan’s fertility rate — the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime — decreased for the sixth year in a row, to 1.3. Niger has the highest fertility rate with an average of 6.7 children per woman, while the worldwide average is 2.4, according to the World Bank. The U.S. fertility rate is ...

A. Less than 2

B. Between 2 and 3

C. Between 3 and 4

D. More than 4

Q: Politicians and economists worry that declining birth rates mean there won’t be enough workers to support aging populations. With 30 percent of its people over 65 years old, Japan has the world’s second-oldest median age of 48.6 years. That means half the people are older than 48.6 years old and half are younger. Which country has the youngest median age?

A. Burundi

B. DR Congo

C. Niger

D. Somalia

Q: According to scientists, it took modern humans — Homo sapiens — roughly 300,000 years to reach an estimated world population of 1 billion people in 1803. Since then, it has grown to more than 7.7 billion. Is the rate of world population growth now increasing or declining?

A. Increasing

B. Declining


Answers for this quiz: Click here