Japan has surpassed Germany as the country with the lowest birth rate in the world, a study says.
Japan had an average of eight children born per 1000 inhabitants over the five-year period between 2010 and 2014. Last year the average number stood at 8.34 children.
In Germany, the average number of children rose from 8.24 to 8.6, the joint study by German auditing firm BDO with the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) found.
The study's authors said that in order for Germany to reverse the demographic decline the birth rate must rise by at least 23 per cent.
They warned that the German labour market faces a significant shortage of skilled workers in the next two decades, suggesting that increasing the workforce participation of immigrants and women could help fill demand.
