Geography IGCSE - Japan Ageing Population Statistics

Japan Population

125 mill (2021, worldbank)

Japan location

Northeast Asia → surrounded by the Sea of Japan, Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea

Birth rate

1.34 per women

Intro

One in ten people are over 80 years old

BP1 (53% of Japanese couples receive childcare support from their grandmothers by the time their children are three years old)

Increased dependency on elderly for childcare → societal pressure on aging individuals with physical and financial challenges → health issues + need for rest → majority of elderly involved in raising the next generation → strain well-being + limit ability to enjoy retirement

BP2 (The retirement age will be raised to 61 at the start of April 2023 from the current 60)

Increasing retirement age → necessity to keep older population economically active longer due to shrinking younger workforce → extending working age → aims to stabilize pension systems + maintain economic productivity → challenges to older citizens who continue labor-intensive roles beyond physical peak

BP3 (In 2021, Japanese government spent around 36% of the government ‘s social security budget on the elderly)

Declining birth rate → less money spent on schooling + natal care → highlights challenges faced → increased healthcare costs, pension pressures + need for sustainable fiscal policies → government needs to constantly readjust policies → e.g. retirement age, improving working conditions for the elderly → offer new job training for better one

Causes BP1 (Japan has a birth rate of 1.34 per woman → below replacement level of 2.1)

due to economic + cultural factors → e.g. delayed marriages, high educational attainment + challenging work-life balance → discourages young people from having children + having them at a younger age → childcare is expensive + work life balance is poor → discourages parenthood → fertility rate stays low while aging population grows

Causes BP2 (As of 2020, about 29% of Japan's pop. was aged 65 and over → projected to rise to 38% by 2065)

high proportion of elderly in pop. → continues increase → due to extended life expectancies + declining birth rates → Japan has a life expectancy of 85 years → due to medical advances + healthy lifestyles → fewer babies born to offset ageing trends → more pressure on pension, healthcare + social support systems

Causes BP3 (70% of men + 60% of women aged 18 to 34 are single → not looking to start relationships)

Fewer people entering relationships → fewer children are born → driven by social norms + economic uncertainty → insecure jobs + high housing cost → many young adults remain single → since prioritising freedom, careers + personal goals → contributes to the low birth rate