Japan's Silver Revolution: A Look into the Rising Octogenarian Population
Over 10% of Japan's population is now aged 80 or older, highlighting the alarming progression of the country's demographic crisis
The government announced on Monday that over 10% of Japan's population is now aged 80 or older, marking a troubling development in the country's rapidly aging demographic crisis. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released figures revealing that the proportion of Japan's elderly, defined as individuals aged 65 and older, has also reached a record high of 29.1% of the population - the highest rate globally.
In celebration of Respect for the Aged Day, a public holiday in Japan, the ministry released the figures. The country is currently grappling with a declining birth rate and workforce, which could potentially impact the funding for pensions and healthcare as the demand from the aging population continues to rise. Since the economic boom of the 1980s, Japan's population has been steadily decreasing, with a fertility rate of 1.3, significantly below the required 2.1 needed for population stability in the absence of immigration. For over a decade, deaths have surpassed births in Japan, presenting a mounting issue for the leaders of the world's third-largest economy.
The country's high life expectancy has led to an increase in the elderly population, prompting the Japanese government to address the labor shortage and revive the sluggish economy by encouraging seniors and stay-at-home mothers to return to work in the last ten years.
To a certain degree, this messaging has proven effective as evidenced by the fact that there are currently a staggering 9.12 million elderly workers in Japan, marking a continual increase for 19 consecutive years. As of Monday, the internal affairs ministry revealed that individuals aged 65 and above now comprise more than 13% of the overall national workforce.
The Yokobori family: Miho, left, Kentaro, center, and Hirohito, right. Kentaro was born almost seven years ago, the first in 25 years in the area in Kamikawa village.
Futa Nagao for CNN
This community's quarter century without a newborn shows the scale of Japan's population crisis
Japans elderly employment rate is among the highest across major economies, it added.
However, simply encouraging elderly workers is insufficient in mitigating the social and economic consequences of the demographic crisis. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has raised concerns in January, stating that Japan is at the verge of being unable to sustain its social functions. He emphasized that the government's utmost priority is providing support for child-rearing and stressed that the resolution to this matter cannot be delayed any further.
Nearby, China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are experiencing similar crises, struggling to encourage young people to have more children, in the face of rising living costs and social discontent.
