The Record Decline of the Japanese Population

  • 11 years ago
Estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication in Japan say that the country has experienced a record drop in population size over the past year.

Estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication in Japan say that the country has experienced a record drop in population size over the past year.

Japanese government officials announced that in March of 2013 their population was just over 126 million people, which was a point 2 percent decrease from the previous year.

There are reportedly around 244 thousand fewer people living in Japan in 2013.

One statistic says that one million 275 thousand people died in Japan during 2013, which is about 19 thousand more than during 2012, while just over a million babies were born during that time.

The latest information shows a continuing trend of population decline, and if nothing changes Japan is on track to lose a third of their population over the next half century.

Japan’s population is also getting significantly older, with over 20 percent of their population at age 65 or older, with that number expected to reach 40 percent by the year 2060.

Another possible reason behind Japan’s population decline is that young people are having less sex, or waiting until later in life to have children.

What do you think about Japan’s declining population?

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