According to Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the medium scenario projects that 33.4% of women born in 2005 will go through their childbearing years without having children, while the most optimistic case is that 24.6% won't reproduce

The percentage is even higher for men - with as many as half of 18-year-old males projected to never have children.

It's not just Japan, either:

The share of people without children is rising in such other developed economies as the U.S. and Europe. This has been attributed to a shift in values as more people focus on self-fulfillment rather than having kids.

In these countries, around 10% to 20% of women born in 1970 never had children. The share in Japan is significantly higher at 27% and could end up at more than double Western levels if American and European rates stay around their current levels. -Nikkei

That said, the number of childless adults has begun to drop in the US, UK and Germany, as efforts to encourage people to balance work with raising a family have encouraged many to have at least one child.

Japan, meanwhile, has begun efforts to create a better environment for prospective parents with similar work-style reforms.

You can lead a horse to water...