Japan’s Youth Delay Parenthood as Population Shrinks
Japan continues to face a crisis in its youth population. According to official data released on Monday, as of October 2024, the country's population had fallen to 120.3 million. This represents a record decline of 898,000 people compared to 2023.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that this is the largest annual drop since the government began collecting comparable data in 1950. In response to this demographic challenge, the Japanese government has been offering special incentives to boost birth rates. However, young people in Japan are delaying marriage and parenthood for various reasons, resulting in the country recording the world’s lowest birth rate.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the government is trying to provide financial assistance to young families who wish to have children.
In addition, the number of foreigners in Japan has also declined significantly. While Japan has utilized young foreign nationals as part of its labor force, the government continues to maintain strict immigration policies. Currently, foreign workers are only being permitted on a temporary basis. The newly released data indicates that the foreign population in the country has also seen a considerable decline.
