少子化

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Spelling: 少子化. Reading: しょうしか. Core meaning: declining birthrate.
• Basic usage: Representative examples: 少子化が地域の学校運営に影響している / 会議では少子化に対応した町づくりを話し合った.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A societal decline in births
  • 少子化 is a long-term societal decline in births or in the share of younger age groups. It does not merely mean that one household has few children.