Japan's population is forecast to drop by almost a third by the middle of the century, bringing with it an impending labour shortage and ballooning pension costs to maintain an increasingly ageing population, a government report has said. To address this, the government said it will spend more to ease the burden of raising families.A 30 per cent drop in population will see ballooning medical and pension costs, the elderly to increase by 10 million in 2055, making up 40 per cent of total population and the working population will stand at 46 million or slightly above 50 per cent.
Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, said: "It's not as if the pension system will collapse. We need to do whatever we can to implement measures to resolve the falling birth rate to prevent the rate from going any lower."
The implications are clear in far-eastern terms and come as the Chinese hegemony slowly approaches. Japan has more than a few worries coming up.
contrary to my generl neo-liberla economic appraoch. I actually think countries with declining populationsa re the way forward. if we are to maintain humaity in good fettle for a few million years then there is a need to have a smaller opulation than 6 billion plus. Also too, in countries with fewer people there is more green space etc.
ReplyDeleteI think the old style strategic game of he who is bigger is better does not translate wll to our advanced society. I also think the obsession with economic growth, whilst taking no account of population movements is also a nonsense.