A mother cradles her newborn in Satte, Saitama Prefecture, in May. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Births in Japan are projected to fall to below 800,000 in 2021, according to an analyst, citing fears the novel coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the decline in the nation's birthrate. The estimate is based on reports of fewer pregnancies this year. For 2020, fewer than 850,000 births are anticipated, or about 17,000 less than the previous year and the least since 1899 when records were first kept, the health ministry said. Preliminary figures from January to October this year suggest an annual decrease of 2.3 percent. The ministry usually releases an estimate of the population and number of live births at the end of each year.