Pope Leo and Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi address declining birth rates in Europe and Japan, urging support for families and societal shifts to sustain populations.
Newsroom (16/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV, in a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella on October 14, expressed concern over Europe’s declining birth rates, urging governments to bolster support for families. The pontiff emphasized the need for policies that uphold family values, protect their rights, and provide “decent work” under fair conditions to support motherhood and fatherhood.
“Families require indispensable support to thrive, particularly through employment that respects their needs,” Leo XIV said, highlighting the erosion of governmental commitment to family welfare across Europe.
Echoing the pope’s concerns, Cardinal Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo told Crux that Japan faces a parallel demographic crisis, with its total fertility rate dropping to 1.15 per woman in 2024, slightly below Italy’s 1.20. Japan’s birth rate, which fell to 686,061 last year—a 5.7 percent decline from 2023 and the lowest since records began in 1899—signals a deepening challenge for the nation’s future.
“Japan’s aging society is shrinking rapidly,” Kikuchi said. “Kindergartens and elementary schools are struggling with low enrollment, and many private institutions face closure. Local communities are eroding, and critical sectors like construction, public services, and retail lack young workers.”
Japan’s population, currently 124 million, is projected to plummet to 87 million by 2070, with nearly half of its citizens over 65 if current trends persist. The Catholic Church in Japan, representing just 0.34 percent of the population with 431,100 members, is also feeling the strain. Despite its small size, the Church operates 828 educational institutions, including the prestigious Jesuit-run Sophia University in Tokyo. However, declining membership, fewer young people in administrative parish roles, and a scarcity of new vocations are weakening its presence.
“The high cost of living in cities discourages families from having children,” Kikuchi noted. “As a minority community, the Catholic Church has limited influence to shift public attitudes.”
The cardinal called for a societal rethink to address Japan’s demographic crisis, urging the integration of foreign workers not as temporary laborers but as partners in building the nation’s future. “Importing workers risks creating modern-day servitude,” he warned. “Japan needs people willing to contribute to society, which requires a fundamental change in mindset from both the government and the public.”
As both Europe and Japan grapple with shrinking populations, the remarks from Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Kikuchi underscore the urgent need for policies that support families and foster sustainable demographic growth.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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