No. of deaths rises to record 1.14 mil in 2008: gov't estimate

The number of Japanese people who died in the country in 2008 is estimated to have increased to 1,143,000, the highest number since comparable data became available in 1947, according to health ministry estimates released Wednesday. The number of Japanese babies born in the country in the year came to an estimated 1,092,000, nearly the same as the year before, bringing the natural population decrease to an estimated 51,000, up from the previous year’s 18,516, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in the survey.

On the decrease in the size of the population in Japan, the ministry said, ‘‘The margin of decrease is expected to widen due to the falling birthrate and the aging population.’’ The estimates are based on preliminary figures for the number of births and deaths registered at municipal offices in Japan between January and October. Of the total deaths in 2008, 343,000 were attributed to cancer, 184,000 to heart disease and 126,000 to strokes, the survey showed.

The number of births in 2008 was up about 2,000, or 0.02 percent, from the previous year and Japan’s overall fertility rate—the average number of children born to a woman aged between 15 and 49—is expected to increase slightly from 1.34 for 2007, the ministry said. The number of marriages in 2008 increased about 11,000 from the year before to an estimated 731,000, while that of divorces fell about 4,000 to an estimated 251,000.

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