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Ageing Japan

Japan faces a demographic crisis. Its population is falling rapidly due to an ageing population and declining birthrates.

In two decades from now, seniors will outnumber children under 15 by nearly four to one. The situation is now so critical that adult nappies outsell baby nappies in the country.

Japan’s overall population fell by a record quarter-million to 127.8 million last year, and by 2060, the population is expected to fall by an additional one-third to as few as 87 million. And 40 per cent of those remaining will be over 65 years old.

The demographic decline has led to a spike in social problems and ‘kodokushi’, or “lonely deaths”, which is a Japanese phenomenon that came about in the 1980s, is now growing increasingly common.

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  1. Japan has got to stop committing so many abortions. I remember roughly twenty five years ago, I read that abortions were many doctor’s only source of income because the population was so healthy. Instead of abortions doctors could go overseas and help people with dew doctors or go into research and biotechnology. Now they have immigrants doing the work. They need to change their culture. The more the merrier, the better

  2. I have always found it absurd when societies say of their elderly: “they are a burden”. Who in the hell do the younger generation think built their society & its infrastructure? Time to pay up for all the work & contributions the previous generation provided for you kids.

    • Denmark has amazing programs for its elderly population, and is a shining example of a society that respects its senior citizens. If only Canada would follow their example.