Japan is facing a serious demographic crisis, and it is no longer news.
On April 15, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released population estimates showing that
As of October 1, 2021, the total population of Japan is 125.5 million people,
Compared with the previous year, 644,000 people decreased, the largest decline in history, and it was also the 11th consecutive year of decline.
Of Japan's 47 prefectures, with the exception of Okinawa Prefecture, all experienced population decline.
Even Tokyo, where the population exploded, saw its first population decline in nearly 26 years.
From the perspective of age structure, it can be said that aging and low birthrate are intensifying.
The number of elderly people over the age of 65 reached 36.214 million, accounting for 28.9% of the total population, a record high.
The number of children under the age of 15 was 14.784 million, accounting for 11.8% of the total population, a record low.
The number of children in Japan has been decreasing for 41 consecutive years.
A comparison of 33 countries with populations of more than 40 million, based on the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, shows that
Japan has the lowest share of children, down from 12.9 percent in Italy and 11.9 percent in South Korea.
The graduate school of medicine, The University of Tokyo, according to the survey, shows that:
Over the past 30 years, the number of men and women without children in Japan has nearly tripled.
Special researcher Haruka Sakamoto pointed out,
"I think the biggest reason is that the number of unmarried people has increased."
"So why are young people starting to become unmarried?"
"I think a big reason is that young people in their twenties and thirties are in a state of poverty and have unstable jobs."
A reporter from TV Asahi conducted an interview with passers-by.
An unmarried woman in her 30s said:
"I don't know what society is going to look like next.
I also wondered, will having children be the right choice in the future?
So maybe even if you don't have children, it's fine like this. ”
A grandfather in his 80s pointed out,
If you want young people to have children, you should create a good child-rearing environment for them.
"For example, if you are pregnant, you can get a subsidy of 500,000 yen (about 25,600 yuan).
Or if you have a baby, you can receive a subsidy of 1 million yen (about 51,200 yuan).
Of course, the number of nurseries will also increase. ”
On May 8, Elon Musk also noticed news about The Population of Japan.
The "richest man in the world" with 7 children began to "spawn" online.
"At the risk of saying the obvious,
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. ”
Before that, Musk also said: "The biggest risk for human civilization is the rapid decline in the birth rate." ”
Musk's remarks quickly triggered heated discussions among Japanese netizens.
"I knew about it 30 years ago, haha."
"Indeed, if this continues, Japan will disappear.
But is this painful thing for the world?
I don't care anyway... Tired. ”
"By then, I'm out of this world, it doesn't matter."
"I think That Japan is a small country with a population of about 60 million.
The problem is the proportion of the elderly and young children. ”
"That said, there are a lot of things that must be done first than having children, such as creating the ideal learning and working environment."
"Want to have kids!?
But there is no money on hand, employment is difficult, tax pressure, it is difficult to save money, so how to raise children..."
"To put it bluntly, having children is for yourself, and you can also become a reliance on old age."
But in the process of raising children, there are too many things to worry about.
There is also the fact that in modern society, even if you don't have children, there are many ways to have fun in life. ”
"Now a lot of people don't get married and live a single life."
"Let young people see the light."
(Do you believe in the Light?) ）
Another netizen said: "Elon... Give me money..."
When the world's richest man worries about population,
The reaction of netizens is also very direct and real...