Everyone in Four Is Old

Ministry of Interior on Wednesday released the first prompt report of national census exercised last year. It was the first time for 65 or older to occupy one fourths of all population, since the census started in 1920. Baby boomers, swelling old generation, and low birth rate these several decades can be making Japan exhausted. Indispensable is comprehensive support for those people.

Since it takes a year or more to determine the result of national census, the Ministry delivers intermediate data based on the answer from 1% of all. The ratio of 65-year-old people or older rose up to 26.7%, increasing by 3.7 points from last census in 2010. Showing clear contrast, 15-year-old or younger consisted 12.7% of all, decreasing by 0.5 point.

The share of 65, or the rate of aging, is in progress in local communities, such as Akita, Kochi or Shimane. With less job opportunities, young people in local cities are moving to urban area seeking better life. The ratio of aging in Japan is one of the highest in the world, exceeding Italy with 22.4% or Germany with 21.2%. The ratio of 15 or younger marked the worst level.

One positive sign was the share of working women. 49.8% of women had their own job, showing slight rise by 0.2 %. 80.9% of the woman in the age between 25 and 29 are on the job of their own. It was the first time for 8 out of 10 of them had their job. However, the women in between 30 and 39, in the age of giving birth or raising kids, had less opportunity than in last census.

The biggest problem is how to support those old people. Those who live without family increased by 840 thousands from last census.1 out of 6 old people is single. If those people lived in local city with poor public transportation system, it is not easy for them to get foods or clothes in the shops. Car driving of elder people often causes severe accident in this country with highly dense population. It is necessary for local communities to coordinate system for taking care of them.

Another prescription should be increasing birth. Burden of young agers for social security is getting greater than they can afford. To maintain necessary labor for sustainable economy growth, it is unavoidable for Japanese government to encourage young people with appropriate support for raising children. More nursery facilities for working mothers’ kids, lower medical cost for young family and more incentives for giving birth are immediately needed.