60128    The annual number of births over 1994 turned out to be 1,235,000, an increase of as many as 47,000 from the previous year, marking the first substantial increase in twenty-one years, according to the 1994 annual estimate of vital statistics issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 31st.

60129    The Total Fertility Rate is also expected to recover from 1.46 to 1.47 or 1.49, after the long decrease since 1985, finally showing a change in the seriously declining birth-rate.

60130    This annual estimation was calculated based on the data of births, deaths, marriages, etc. that were reported to municipal governments between January and November 1994.

60131    According to the estimation, the number of births reached 1,235,000, significantly increasing from 1,188,282 in the previous year.

60132    Although the year 1991 also marked an increase of 1,660 over the previous year, it was the first increase in the number of births by the "tens of thousands" since 1973, when 53,301 more births than the previous year were recorded due to the second baby boom.

60133    The number of deaths dropped by 6,000 from the previous year, and the natural increase of population, gained by subtracting the deaths from births, showed an increase of 52,000 over the previous year, for the first time in twenty-one years.

60134    Behind this rapid increase in the number of births is the wedding boom started around 1990.

60135    The number of marriages increased by ten to forty thousand every year during the boom, and reached 794,000 in 1994, growing 1,300 from the previous year.

60136    The decrease of the deaths is considered to be because last year saw very little outbreak of influenza, which killed about 16,000, most of which were seniors, in 1993.

60137    The Ministry of Health and Welfare analyzes, "Relatively high-aged single women started to go into late marriages several years ago, probably raising the number of births.If the marriages of second baby boomers follow this trend, the birth dearth might be stopped."

60138    The number of divorces has also increased for four consecutive years since 1991, reaching 195,000 in 1994 with the increase of 7,000 over the previous year.

60139    The "second divorce boom," following the first in the early 1980s, seems to be arising.

60140    Chinese President Jiang Zemin made a New Year's address on December 31 toward Chinese and Chinese descendents in China and overseas, emphasizing "The year 1995 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the victory of the anti-fascism war, including the victory of the Chinese people against the invasion of the Japanese."

60141    Who will be in the position of prime minister on January 1st next year?

60142    If the Diet members had been asked this question last January, how many of them would have given the name of Tomiichi Murayama?