Japan: Record low birth rate adds to the woes of an ageing society
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Apr 2023
The number of registered births in Japan fell to a new low in 2022 despite the country’s extensive efforts to increase birth rate, according to official data released in February 2023.
Japan’s ministry of health statistics data released on 28 February 2023 said the number of babies born in Japan in 2022 fell to a new record low for the seventh consecutive year, dropping below 800,000 for the first time since records began in 1899.
The total number of births was down 5.1% to 799,728. The drop comes much earlier than a 2017 government forecast that said births would fall below 800,000 in 2033.
The latest data showed that Japan’s current fertility rate of 1.3 is far below the rate of 2.1 required to maintain a stable population, in the absence of immigration.
Several reasons contribute to declining birth rates, including rising living costs, more women in education and work, as well as greater access to contraception, leading to women choosing to have fewer children.
Similar data released in September 2022 had revealed that for the first time over 75-years of age people account for over 15% of the country’s population.
The number of those over 65 - 36.27m accounted for 29.1% of the population also reached a record high. Japan tops the world rankings for the oldest society by proportion of over 65s, well above Italy in second place at 24.1% and Finland with 23.3% in the third place.
The share of the elderly population in Japan has been increasing every year since 1950. A surge in elderly people presents problems for the country, affecting healthcare system of the country. M