Japan's estimated population of children fell to a new record low of 14.35 million, down for the 42nd consecutive year, latest government data showed.

最新的政府数据显示，日本估计的儿童人口降至创纪录的1435万人，连续第42年下降。

The number of children aged 14 or younger, including foreigners, came to 14.35 million as of April 1, down by around 300,000 from a year earlier, data from the internal affairs ministry showed on Thursday.

日本内政部周四公布的数据显示，截至4月1日，包括外国人在内的14岁及以下儿童的数量为1435万，比去年同期减少了约30万。

The ratio of children to Japan's total population stood at 11.5 percent, down by 0.2 percentage point, also the lowest figure since the start of comparable data in 1950, according to the ministry.

据该部门称，儿童占日本总人口的比例为11.5%，下降了0.2个百分点，这也是自1950年有可比数据以来的最低水平。

By gender, boys accounted for 7.35 million of the total child population, while girls make up the other 7 million, the data showed.

数据显示，按性别划分，男孩占儿童总数的735万，女孩占700万。

The government data also revealed that after peaking in 1954 at 29.89 million and experiencing a second baby boom in the early 1970s, Japan's child population has continued to fall since 1982.

日本政府的数据还显示，在1954年达到2989万人的峰值，并在20世纪70年代初经历了第二次婴儿潮之后，日本的儿童人口自1982年以来一直在下降。