Aging in Japan

The aging of Japan is thought to outweigh all other nations, as the country is purported to have the highest proportion of elderly citizens. Not just in rural, but also in urban areas, Japan is experiencing a “super-aging” society. According to 2014 estimates, 33.0% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, 25.9% are aged 65 or above, 12.5% are aged 75 or above. People aged 65 and older in Japan make up fifth of its total population, estimated to be reaching third by the year 2050.

Japan had a postwar baby boom between 1947 and 1949, however, the law of 1948 led to an easy access to abortions, followed by prolonged period of low fertility, resulting in the aging population of Japan. The dramatic aging of Japanese society as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates and high life expectancy is expected to continue, and the population began to decline in 2011. Japanese citizens view Japan as comfortable and modern, resulting in no sense of a population crisis. The government of Japan has responded to concerns about the stress that demographic changes place on the economy and social services with policies intended to restore the fertility rate and make the elderly more active in society.

The number of Japanese people aged 65 years or older nearly quadrupled in the last forty years, to 33 million in 2014, accounting for 26% of Japan's population. In the same period, the number of children (aged 14 and younger) decreased from 24.3% of the population in 1975 to 12.8% in 2014. The number of elderly people surpassed the number of children in 1997, and sales of adult diapers surpassed diapers for babies in 2014. This change in the demographic makeup of Japanese society, referred to as population aging (kōreikashakai, 高齢化社会), has taken place in a shorter span of time than in any other country.

According to projections of the population with the current fertility rate, over 65s will account for 40% of the population by 2060, and the total population will fall by a third from 128 million in 2010 to 87 million in 2060. Economists at Tohoku University established a countdown to national extinction, which estimates that Japan will have only one remaining child in 4205. These predictions prompted a pledge by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to halt population decline at 100 million.

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