Number of people falls by 210,000, the largest amount ever recorded
CBC News Posted: Jan 2, 2013 7:45 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 2, 2013 8:44 AM ET Read 22 comments22
Japan's population has logged a record drop, shrinking in 2012 for the sixth year in a row, statistics show.
Estimates from Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry show the total population declined by 210,000 in 2012 — the largest annual decline since records became available — to 128 million people, the CBC's Craig Dale reported from Tokyo.
Just 1.03 million people were born in Japan last year — the lowest number since the end of the Second World War. Meanwhile, more than 1.24 million people died in 2012, the second-highest number in the post-war era, Dale reported.
As well, about 8,000 more people died in 2011 when the earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan.
Government estimates suggest Japan's population will shrink by 30 per cent by 2060, because of a low birthrate and a high proportion of elderly people, to just 86.74 million.
The birthrate has fallen dramatically over the years. In 1950, the average Japanese woman had more than four children during her lifetime. By 2012, that figure stood at 1.39 (the same as in 2011).
Seniors to reach 40% of population by 2060
By 2060, the number of people 65 or older will nearly double to 40 per cent, while the national workforce of people between ages 15 and 65 will shrink to about half of the total population, according to a January 2012 estimate, made by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.
It's a demographic shift that Japan's Emperor Akihito has said is a source of worry.
"One of the social issues of concern is the rapidly aging population," he said in a statement on his 79th birthday last month. "I believe that the problem is particularly serious in rural areas far away from the cities."
It's also a demographic shift faced by many countries, including Canada.
Data from the 2011 census shows the number of people over 65 has surged to nearly five million over the previous five years, a rise of 14.1 per cent. The median age in Canada is now 40.6, the oldest ever, compared to 39.5 five years ago and 33.5 two decades ago. Seniors make up 14.8 per cent of the population, a record high.
Young people, however, are growing marginally. The segment of Canada's population under15 has grown just 0.5 per cent over the past five years, representing 16.7 per cent of the population.
comments
Markmyword
population growth, economic growth, these are interesting topics that need more debate.
add up the American health care cost vs the Japanese per capita, I think Japan can handle the aged better. They have a system that seems to work.
besides the world is finite so perminent growth is a poor strategy isnt it?
1991 Canadian
The problem is Japan is one of the only first world countries, if not the only first world country that doesn't allow immigration.
Canada would be in this position as well if we didn't let in hundreds of thousands of immigrants a year.
I truly feel for the young people in that country. Japan is seriously in debt. It is controlled by geriatrics. And somehow the young taxpayers in that country are expected to pay for all the debt and the extra healthcare an aging population requires, with fewer people than ever before.
Bard29
From the perspective of the whole world this is the beginning of a necessary trend. No population can continue growing indefinitely and humans have had an extremely long run of growth. At some point, and it must be fairly soon, our population has to either stabilize or drop. Most likely it will drop, and a gentle decline will be better than a crash. As they say "the bigger they are the harder they fall"; and this is always true of population growth and population decline. All countries can learn from the experiences of countries like Japan, Germany and Hungary that are at the leading edge of this new trend.
1. Do you agree that it is important for Korea to sustain or increase its population? Why or why not?
2. What are some of the problems that could occur if Korea's population starts to fall? How would it affect the following? -Korea's ability to maintain an effective military force -Korea's ability to remain as one of the world's economic powerhouses -Korea's ability to take care of its old people. -The employment situation in Korea
3.What do you think is a suitable number of children to have? Would you consider having three or more children? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion of how the population crisis in Korea can be resolved? Tell why you think so. -The government should try to encourage people to have more children. -Its a private matter, and the government should not be telling people how many children to have
5.Do you agree that most Koreans what to "love the good life", which is to have nice apartments, nice cars, nice clothes, take trips abroad, etc? If so, then doesn't that explain why they don't want to have children?
