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What is Japan’s population?
The population of Japan has gone down. In 2022, it went down by about 8,00,000 to 122.4 million. Japan's population has been going down since it [[peaked::the highest point ]] in 2008.
The reason for this is declining birthrates. However, the number of foreign residents in Japan has increased a lot.
In 2022, there were about twice as many deaths (1.56 million) as there were births (771,000). This is the greatest total population decline since data collection began in 1968.
What’s the reason behind the declining population?
Japan has the world's fastest-ageing population. But there aren't many new babies being born since the 1970s. A study shows that some people in Japan don't want to get married.
Many young Japanese people would rather focus on having a good job and freedom than getting married and having kids. It's also expensive to raise kids in Japan.
It is the third most costly country in the world to raise children, after China and South Korea.The country’s average annual salary has also not increased much since the late 1990s.
So, some adults decide not to have children. These are some reasons why Japan's population is declining.
Why is this a problem?
A country needs young people to help it grow. When the previous generation gets older, young people take care of them and help the country too. If there is a population decline, it can negatively affect a country’s development.
What is the government doing about it?
Japan's government, led by Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida, wants more families to have kids. The PM has started a [[campaign::A set of planned activities intended to achieve a particular goal.]] to help children and families.
The government will raise child allowances and make more efforts to end child poverty and abuse.New fathers will be encouraged to take leave to care for their newborn child.
Parents will also receive [[tax benefits::Certain benefits that the government gives to reduce taxes.]] to increase their savings. The government hopes these are some ways to increase the country’s population.
Quick Revision
Japan’s population fell to 122.4 million in 2022, with more deaths than births.
Few marriages, high child costs, and low salaries cause fewer babies.
Japan has the fastest-ageing population in the world.
The government gives child benefits, tax help, and parental leave to boost births.
