Child population on International Children's Day

Today, and November 20th annually, is International Children's Day. It is one of the official international days of the United Nations General Assembly. It was established in 1954 and on this day in 1959 the UN General Assembly adopted the "Declaration on the Rights of the Child". In 1989, they adopted the "Convention on the Rights of the Child", as an international human rights treaty. 

In 2025, Japan's child population declined for the 45th year in a row. Recent data reveals that the current child population in Japan is at approximately 11.1% of the total population. For several years Japan had the lowest proportion of children among developed regions. But in recent years, statistics, for countries with a population greater than 40 million, show that Korea now has the lowest percentage of children with just 10.6%. Within Japan I believe Akita has the lowest percentage with just 8.8%. Okinawa has the highest with 15.8%.

The purpose of International Children's Day is to promote global mutual understanding of children and the welfare of children. The United Nations also recommends that governments choose a day that they consider appropriate and make it "Children's Day" in their country. In my country, it is recognized on November 20th. In Japan, it is based on the national holiday "Children's Day" on May 5th, which is derived from the ancient "Tango no Sekku".