"Unless there is a change that causes the birth rate to exceed the death rate, Japan will eventually cease to exist."
On May 8, Musk issued a warning on social platforms, and the remarks quickly sparked widespread discussion on the Japanese Internet.
According to CCTV News, data released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on May 4 showed that the number of people aged 14 and under in Japan has decreased for 41 consecutive years, setting a new record low.
How serious is Japan's population problem?
Musk: If there is no change, "Japan will eventually cease to exist"
According to the Global Network, Japan's Kyodo News Agency English Network previously reported that the demographic data released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on April 15 showed that as of October 1, 2021, Japan's total population was 125.5 million, a decrease of 644,000 compared with October 2020. The report was retweeted by a netizen on May 8.
In response to the news, Musk replied to the comment on the same day, saying, "At the risk of telling the obvious facts, unless there is a change that causes the birth rate to exceed the death rate, Japan will eventually cease to exist." This will be a huge loss for the world. ”
Screenshot of Musk's tweet
Musk's remarks quickly sparked a wide discussion on the Japanese Internet, and as of the 9th, a tweet about his remarks had received more than 10,000 retweets and 35,000 likes.
Regarding Japan's population problem and Musk's remarks, some netizens said, "In the end, having children is for yourself, and you can also become a reliance on old age, but there are many things to worry about in the process of (birth and raising). In addition, in modern times, there are many ways to have fun (full life) even if you do not have children. ”
Some Japanese netizens simply shouted directly, "Elon (Musk), give me money." ”
Japan's child population has been declining for 41 consecutive years
According to CCTV News, data released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on May 4 showed that the number of people aged 14 and under in Japan has decreased for 41 consecutive years, the lowest value on record.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimates that as of April 1, there were 14.65 million children aged 14 and under in Japan, including foreign children living in Japan. Of these, about 7.5 million are boys and 7.15 million are girls.
This figure is about 250,000 fewer than the previous year, the lowest since 1950 was recorded. The proportion of children in this age group in Japan's total population was 11.7%, down 0.1 percentage points year-on-year, and it has declined for 48 consecutive years, also breaking the lowest value.
Japan has a serious problem of low birthrate. According to the United Nations Population Yearbook, in more than 30 countries with a global population of more than 40 million, Japan ranks at the bottom of the total population of children aged 14 and under, with South Korea at 11.9% and Italy at 12.9%.
As of October 1 last year, the number of children in 47 prefectures across Japan had decreased year-on-year, for the first time since 1999.
Japan's child population peaked at 29.89 million in 1954, and in the early 1970s, the number of children in Japan had a brief period of growth, but it has decreased every year since 1982.
Why don't you want to be born?
According to CCTV News, the survey shows that the high cost of childbirth and the heavy economic burden are the primary reasons why the Japanese people are reluctant to have children.
At the same time, the increase in dual-career families and the increase in work pressure are also important reasons for Japan's low fertility rate.
In order to create a fertile environment for the people, some local governments in Japan have also introduced measures to help child-rearing families reduce their burden. Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture, an hour's drive from Tokyo, has set up a conservation facility offering pick-up and drop-off and hosting services near the station. After parents send their children here before going to work, they will be sent to each nursery and kindergarten by the staff, and the staff will be responsible for picking up the facilities after school and waiting for the parents to leave work.
In order to stimulate population growth and fundamentally solve the problem of low fertility, the Japanese government has implemented free kindergarten admission and nursery school access since October 2019, and launched a series of measures such as subsidizing low-income newlywed families and incorporating infertility treatment into medical insurance, but the actual effect is not ideal.
Source | Global Network, CCTV News