Japan Adult Women Without Children Ratio 42%, Record High... Population Cliff Deepens

Men More Severely Affected... Over 50% Without Children
Concerns Rise Over Reassessment of Social Security System

In Japan, where low birth rates have been a chronic social issue, the proportion of childless adults has reached an all-time high. Despite various encouragement policies, the trend of not having children has deepened further. As the population decline is expected to accelerate, the Japanese government faces increasing challenges, including the need to reconsider social security systems.

On the 9th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research's "2023 Future Population Projection Report Latest Estimates." According to Nikkei, among women born in 2005 who are 18 years old this year, the proportion of those who will remain childless by age 50?considered "lifelong childlessness" in demography?reaches 42%, while for men, it is estimated to be even higher at 50%. In demography, having no children by age 50 is regarded as lifelong childlessness.

Even assuming that women born in 2005 become the generation with the highest number of children, the lifelong childlessness rate is 24.6%. If assuming a moderate rate, the figure is 33.4%, meaning one in three will not have any children at all.

For men, Nikkei predicts the childlessness rate will be about 10% higher than that of women due to a higher unmarried rate. It stated, "For men, the rate could be as high as 50%, meaning one in two men may not have children."

Currently, among women born in 1970 who are in their 50s, the childlessness rate is 27%. This figure is more than double the average of 12% among major developed countries. Recently, in Western countries such as Europe, the childlessness rate appears to be stabilizing, which only heightens concerns about Japan. Nikkei noted, "Western countries have environments where work and childcare coexist more easily, allowing at least one child to be born."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Japan has recently focused on creating a child-friendly environment by reforming work styles, such as expanding paternity leave and telecommuting. However, the younger generation's willingness to marry or have children continues to decline. According to the 2021 Basic Survey on Birth Trends by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the proportion of unmarried young people who responded that "being single for life is acceptable" has surged.

Nikkei pointed out, "Although birth rates in China and Korea have also sharply declined in recent years, the timing of the decline started later than in Japan," adding, "Japan will be the first society to face an increase in elderly people who never have children."

Consequently, transformation of social security systems is also required. In Japan, it is common to require a guarantor for entering nursing facilities, a social system that assumes the presence of family. Experts agree that consideration is needed for old-age security systems for childless singles.

Professor Takashi Oshio of Hitotsubashi University told Nikkei, "We need to promptly discuss how to build a social safety net that provides benefits even for those without family in all areas, including pensions, medical care, and caregiving support, along with ways to secure funding."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.