Development

Deaths are expected to exceed births by 10,000, and inward migration will not make up the difference.

The drop, which has been predicted for years, was blamed on a falling birth rate and a rise in flu-related deaths.

The government has acknowledged a shrinking population could jeopardise Japan's long-term economic health.


-Japan's population of 128 million is projected to fall to 100 million by 2050 if current trends continue.

-The number of deaths rose 48,000 to 1,077,000 as Japan's ageing population fell prone to illnesses like flu.

-The latest data showed the number of births - falling since the 1970s - was expected to fall by 44,000 to 1,067,000 in 2005.