Rate Birth Drops in Japan...
Surely Japan is known by the younger for its animation production called Anime. For the travelers, Japan is known by its immaculate places, delicious foods, its cultures, and traditions. Japan has busy and hardworking people, and it is known for its high technology for business foreigners. Despite these 'perfect things’, Japan has its weaknesses. One of them is the birth rate. After World War II, Japan's population started declining due to the war's impact. Over the past 25 years, the number of births has steadily decreased, leading to a demographic shift where there are more elderly people aged 65 and above than children aged 15 and under. This imbalance in Japan's population pyramid is a result of low birth rates, reducing the productive workforce age group in the country.
So, What are the causes of the low birth rate in Japan? Here are some reasons :
1. Raising Children is Difficult
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Most parents in Japan have this thought because of the high currency which means the cost of living in Japan is mostly high in everything. Especially when it comes to raising children for their education. Japanese woman usually stops working because they need to take care of their children to prevent giving them to daycare which costs high fees. These are hard choices whether to take care of children or keep going with their career but they need to give their children to day care.
Read more! Another Japan's related article : "Get the Good Fortune by Visiting Shrines in Tokyo"
2. Woman working hard in carrier
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The desire of career women in Japan for equal opportunities in work and education is a significant factor contributing to the country's low birth rate. Women prioritize their careers and education, often delaying marriage as a result. According to a survey by the Japanese Ministry of Manpower in 2019, women make up 44.5% of Japan's workforce, a 2.6 percentage point increase from 2009 (source: Nikkei Asia). This trend, if it continues, may lead to new societal challenges in Japan, including further declines in the birth rate due to increased female workforce participation.
3. Abortion Before Marriage
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The low birth rate in Japan is influenced by changing lifestyles among young people, including a preference for relationships resembling marriage without formal marriage commitments, leading to higher rates of abortion. In 2018, the decline in birth rates was linked to an increase in abortions, with Japan recording 161,741 abortions that year (source: Johnston's Archive). This trend not only contributes to population decline but also uneven population growth.
