Japan’s Population to Shrink by a Third by 2065

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Tokyo, 14 Rajab 1438/11 Apil 2017 (MINA) – Japan’s population is expected to shrink by nearly a third of its size within 50 years, according to new figures highlighting the full extent of the nation’s demographic crisis.

The number of Japanese is predicted to tumble from a little over 127 million in 2015 to 88 million in 2065, dropping further to 51 million by 2115.

The new figures, updated every five years by a branch of the health ministry, are likely to put further pressure on the Japanese government as they deal with a shrinking workforce and soaring pension demand, telegraph.co.uk reported on Tuesday..

Solutions to the demographic issues facing Japan appear to have eluded politicians for decades, despite a string of policies designed to boost birthrates and stem the shrinkage.

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Two years ago, a new cabinet minister was appointed with the specific task of preventing the population from slipping below the demographic red line of 100 million by 2060.

However, the latest report predicts that the population will fall below 100 million as early as 2053, while also highlighting how the average age of the Japanese is also steadily rising.

People aged 65 or older will make up more than 38 per cent of the population in 2065, significantly outnumbering the under-14s, who will comprise only ten per cent, according to the report.

In a further reflection of the pressure the ageing population will place on society, there will only be 1.2 working people to support ever person over the age of 65 by 2065 – compared to 2.1 in 2015.

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However, the government was quick to highlight how the rate of Japan’s population decline predicted in the latest figures had slowed slightly from earlier estimates in 2012.

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Referring to government policies designed to stem the shrinkage, Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary, told reporters: “I am sure that the next five years will show even more of an impact.”

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Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, has also highlighted how the nation’s declining demographic was not a burden but an incentive to bolster productivity through innovations such as robotic technology and artificial intelligence.

Companies are also increasingly tapping into the growing power of the so-called “silver market”, with Uber last year announcing plans to target elderly Japanese passengers living in remote rural areas. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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