As you’ve probably heard, Japan’s population is shrinking. It’s expected to shrink by half in the coming years. That’s bad news for Japan because the nation needs young people to support the elderly and because fewer workers mean less economic output.
Why has this happened? There are many reasons and none of them seem likely to change shortly. But let’s take a closer look at each one:
The Low Birth Rate Has Contributed To Japan’s Low Population Growth
Japan’s low birth rate has been declining for years. The ministry’s population data for 2021, which was published in June, showed that the number of births in the year 2012 totaled 811,604, which was the lowest number since the survey’s inception in 1899.
The reasons behind this decline are many and varied, many couples want fewer children because they can’t afford more, or they simply don’t want them at all. Others have chosen to delay having kids until later in life, which is becoming an increasingly common trend in Japan. And while it may seem like a good thing that fewer babies are being born, you’ll soon learn why this is a problem.
Here are a few reasons attributed to the low birth rates in Japan.
Japanese Are Waiting Longer To Get Married
The Japanese are waiting longer to get married. This is because more women are going to college and graduate school, which has changed the way they view marriage. Experts believe that this trend is one of the major contributing factors to a decline in their population.
Women want to make more money than they did in the past, which means they need to work longer before they can start a family. The average woman spends two years at work after college before marrying and having children, while men spend just one year doing so. Some Japanese women wait until they’re older and more established before they get married and have children, but others choose not to marry at all. Either way, this contributes to lower fertility rates in Japan which can affect population growth and economic development in the future.
The fact that more and more Japanese guys are shrugging off the responsibilities of marriage in favor of careers and hobbies is indicative of a larger cultural shift among young men. While they’re still expected to be financially independent when they marry, many want to find a partner who shares their interests in baseball or anime instead of someone who can help them climb the corporate ladder at work or navigate life as an immigrant spouse abroad (which is what traditionally happened). For this reason, many Japanese women are opting for foreign husbands.
The “Parasite Singles” Phenomenon Is Growing
In Japan, there is a phenomenon that is growing in popularity among young people: the parasite singles. These are people who live with their parents and do not work. They have no paychecks, no bills to pay, and no strings attached to their lives. These parasite singles are often unemployed or underemployed, but they are free to do whatever they want with their time, which means they have the luxury of spending all day playing video games or watching anime instead of contributing to society.
A recent survey revealed that there are now more single women than men in Japan. This phenomenon, “parasite singles,” is thought to be a major factor in Japan’s low population growth. These adults live with their parents and do not contribute to the economy or tax system because they have no jobs or income.
The number of parasite singles has skyrocketed in recent years, due in part to the fact that young Japanese men and women are less interested than ever before in getting married and starting families.
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