Japan to Cover All Hospital Delivery Costs from 2026 to Tackle Falling Birth Rate

Japan will start covering all delivery costs in hospitals nationwide beginning April 2026. This new policy aims to ease the financial burden on young couples and encourage more births amid the country’s declining population. Currently, giving birth in Japan costs about 518,000 yen (around Rp 56 million) on average, but the government subsidy is only 500,000 yen. This gap often means families must pay extra. Between May 2023 and September 2024, nearly half of deliveries had costs exceeding the subsidy. By making delivery free, the government hopes to remove this barrier for many couples.

Japan’s birth rate dropped to its lowest level in 2024 since records began 125 years ago. Only 720,988 babies were born, a 5 percent decrease from the previous year. Over 30 percent of Japan’s population is aged 65 or older, creating an urgent need to boost births to support the country’s future workforce and economy.

This trend in Japan contrasts with many developing countries, especially in Africa, where birth rates remain very high. According to the World Bank, the countries with the highest birth rates in 2024 include Niger with an average of 6.64 children per woman, Angola 5.7, Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.49, Mali 5.35, and Benin 5.34. Other countries with high birth rates include Chad, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi, Guinea, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, and Sudan. These nations mainly face challenges such as limited access to contraception, early marriages, low female education levels, and cultural norms that value large families.

High birth rates in these countries put pressure on infrastructure, healthcare, and education systems, which often cannot keep up with rapid population growth. This situation can increase poverty and hinder long-term development. Pakistan, for example, has a birth rate of 3.4, which strains its available resources, leading to overcrowded schools and hospitals.

Countries with low birth rates like Japan face different but serious issues. They have aging populations, shrinking workforces, and risks to economic sustainability. Japan’s new free delivery policy is one of several measures to reverse population decline by encouraging couples to have more children.