Japan – Ageing Population + Pronatalist policies
Fertility Rate – In 2020 1.32 per woman
Death Rate – 11 per 1000 in 2020
Japan's workforce is set to shrink by half in the next 50 years
Reasons for Ageing population:
1. Late age of marriage
- Average age of male marriage is 31, 29 for women
2. High costs of raising a child
- In Tokyo costs $231,000 dollars to raise a child to 18
3. High independency (due to high employment and education levels)
- Unemployment was 2.9% in 2020 (a 0.5% increase from the year before due to
pandemic)
Negative impacts:
1. High age of retirement
- In 2000 raised retirement age to 65 from 60. UN said would need to raise to 77 to
keep worker dependency ratio
2. Shrinking workforce
- In 2014 the dependency ratio was 40% and is expected to be 80% in 2060
- According to the OECD, Japan's workforce will shrink by 20% by 2040
3. Healthcare costs
- In 2020, Japan spent 11% of its GDP on healthcare, above the global average
4. Economic troubles
- In 2019 consumption tax increase from 8% to 10% to fund pensions
- GDP shrunk by 4.6% in 2020
Positive impacts:
1. Economic
i. Provide childcare, allowing parents to work#
, - According to a 2019 report by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, about
42% of Japanese households with grandchildren have grandparents who provide
childcare
ii. Large disposable incomes
- In 2020, average monthly disposable income of retired persons was $2000
iii. Get grandkids in the housing market
2. Social
i. Volunteer in charity shops etc
Management
1. Relaxed immigration
- The Ministry of Justice in Japan reported that the number of foreign residents in
Japan increased by about 5.5% at the end of 2020 compared to the previous year
2. Pronatalist policies
a. Fertility treatments
i. In 2015, ART (assistive reproductive technology) new-borns in Japan represented just
over 5% of births
ii. Only 40-45% of ART cycles are currently reimbursed, and only to those under 40
b. Money payments
i. The Japanese town of Nagicho managed to increase its fertility rate from 1.4 to
about 1.9 in 2017 by offering new moms a “gift” of 300,000 yen
c. Subsidies
i. Families with children aged 3-5 get free preschool education and childcare, with free
medical treatments for under 3s
3. Increase in working age
- In 2000 raised retirement age to 65 from 60. UN said would need to raise to 77 to
keep worker dependency ratio
Canada – Underpopulated country
Signs underpopulated (also works for impacts... e.g less food needed so less farmers);
Low population density – 4% people per km2
High level of development (money not being spent on dealing with problems associated
with high populations – Gambia) - HDI is 0.929 in 2020
Low fertility rate – 1.4 children per woman in 2020
Fertility Rate – In 2020 1.32 per woman
Death Rate – 11 per 1000 in 2020
Japan's workforce is set to shrink by half in the next 50 years
Reasons for Ageing population:
1. Late age of marriage
- Average age of male marriage is 31, 29 for women
2. High costs of raising a child
- In Tokyo costs $231,000 dollars to raise a child to 18
3. High independency (due to high employment and education levels)
- Unemployment was 2.9% in 2020 (a 0.5% increase from the year before due to
pandemic)
Negative impacts:
1. High age of retirement
- In 2000 raised retirement age to 65 from 60. UN said would need to raise to 77 to
keep worker dependency ratio
2. Shrinking workforce
- In 2014 the dependency ratio was 40% and is expected to be 80% in 2060
- According to the OECD, Japan's workforce will shrink by 20% by 2040
3. Healthcare costs
- In 2020, Japan spent 11% of its GDP on healthcare, above the global average
4. Economic troubles
- In 2019 consumption tax increase from 8% to 10% to fund pensions
- GDP shrunk by 4.6% in 2020
Positive impacts:
1. Economic
i. Provide childcare, allowing parents to work#
, - According to a 2019 report by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, about
42% of Japanese households with grandchildren have grandparents who provide
childcare
ii. Large disposable incomes
- In 2020, average monthly disposable income of retired persons was $2000
iii. Get grandkids in the housing market
2. Social
i. Volunteer in charity shops etc
Management
1. Relaxed immigration
- The Ministry of Justice in Japan reported that the number of foreign residents in
Japan increased by about 5.5% at the end of 2020 compared to the previous year
2. Pronatalist policies
a. Fertility treatments
i. In 2015, ART (assistive reproductive technology) new-borns in Japan represented just
over 5% of births
ii. Only 40-45% of ART cycles are currently reimbursed, and only to those under 40
b. Money payments
i. The Japanese town of Nagicho managed to increase its fertility rate from 1.4 to
about 1.9 in 2017 by offering new moms a “gift” of 300,000 yen
c. Subsidies
i. Families with children aged 3-5 get free preschool education and childcare, with free
medical treatments for under 3s
3. Increase in working age
- In 2000 raised retirement age to 65 from 60. UN said would need to raise to 77 to
keep worker dependency ratio
Canada – Underpopulated country
Signs underpopulated (also works for impacts... e.g less food needed so less farmers);
Low population density – 4% people per km2
High level of development (money not being spent on dealing with problems associated
with high populations – Gambia) - HDI is 0.929 in 2020
Low fertility rate – 1.4 children per woman in 2020
