The declining birth rate has become a challenge for Japan. The country faces a difficult demographic challenge due to people’s lack of inclination towards having children. The Japanese government is making many efforts to reduce the unprecedented decline in the birth rate. This also includes the rollout of a state-supported dating app.
A major reason for fewer children being born is people staying away from marriage. The number of people getting married in Japan is also declining rapidly, while the number of people getting divorced is increasing. This trend is creating a demographic imbalance in the country.
According to a CNN report, Japan’s fertility rate has been falling for several years and has reached a record low. According to new data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, only 7,27,277 were born last year in a country with a population of about 12 crore.
According to the ministry, the country’s fertility rate decreased from 1.26 to 1.20 last year. The fertility rate is the number of children born in a woman’s lifetime. A fertility rate of 2.1 is required for a population to remain stable. If the fertility rate is above this, the population will increase.
The Government Is Trying To Increase The Population
To maintain the country’s population balance, the Japanese government has intensified efforts to encourage young people to get married and start a family. The government has also launched its dating app for this. The government has also begun initiatives like expanding childcare facilities, offering housing subsidies, and paying for parents when a child is born.
Despite the government’s efforts in Japan, it is not easy to get out of this crisis because the population crisis here is quite old. The fertility rate in Japan has been below the 2.1 mark for about 50 years. Experts say that after the recession that followed the global oil crisis of 1973, the fertility rate fell and has never reached a stable mark. The matter of concern in recent years is that the trend of decline has accelerated. Every year, deaths exceed births, and the total population is decreasing. This will directly impact Japan’s workforce, economy and social fabric.
According to Japan’s Health Ministry, 1.57 million deaths were recorded in the country in 2023, more than double the number of children born. The number of people getting married in Japan last year also fell by 30,000, while divorces increased. Experts say the decline is expected to continue for at least several decades. Even with the increase in the fertility rate in Japan, the country’s population will continue to fall until the ratio of youth and elderly is balanced.
