japan demography

7/27/2019 Japan demography

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Demographic profile of Japan

Adit Bhardwaj3rd year

Dept. Of Electrical Engineering


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Japan

Abstract: This paper discusses the demographic features of Japan. The population size and

changes and trend of the country are presented using some of the basic demographic

variables like birth rate and death rate. Some basic population indicators such as sex ratio

at birth, maternal mortality rates, infant mortality rates, mean age at marriage and

HIV/AIDS prevalence, are touched upon. Some of the demographic problems that Japan is

facing are discussed and a brief overview of population polices are pointed out.

Introduction

A countrys population is the source of its vitality, but it is also the cause of the assorted costs

involved in maintaining a reasonable standard of living. Particularly for a resource poor island

nation like Japan, a population that is excessively large or excessively small presents a serious

problem. Size is not the only issue, the populations structure is also an important factor. For

example, a severe imbalance between the genders can affect the stability of marriage and the

family in a monogamous society. And if the number of senior citizens is large by comparison

with the working-age population, the latter will bear a heavy burden supporting them, and the

pension system may collapse. Some of these issues are discusses for Japan.

Population Trends

From most recent census, Japan's population is 128,057,352 and for March 2012 the

estimated population is 127,650,000 making it the world's tenth most populated country.

Japan's population density is 336 people per square kilometer according to the United

Nations World Populations Prospects Report as of July 2005. It ranks 37th in a list of

countries by population density.

The total fertility rate in Japan fell from 2.75 births per woman in 1950-1955 to 2.08 births

in 1955-1960. Total fertility remained at the near-replacement level between 1960 and

1975, and it resumed falling slowly, reaching 1.49 births in 1990-1995. During the same

period, the life expectancy at birth for both sexes combined increased, from 63.9 years in

1950-1955 to 79.5 years in 1990-1995. The fertility decline and the increase in life


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Japan

Ithaca College Gerontology Institute

www.ithaca.edu/aging/schools

expectancy in Japan brought about an increase in the proportion of the elderly. In 1995, the

retired-age population (65 years old and over) represented 14.6 per cent of the total

population, as compared to only 4.9 per cent in 1950. The ratio of the working-age

population (15-64 years old) to the retired-age population increased from 11.0 in 1920 to

12.2 in 1950. It later decreased rapidly, to 4.8 in 1995. The notable increase in the median

age of the population, from 22.3 years old in 1950 to 39.7 years old in 1995, is also

indicative of the rapid

demographic ageing that has

taken place in Japan. The

population in Japan is close to

peaking and will soon begin a

prolonged decline.Declining

fertility combined with

increasing longevity will cause

the Japanese population to age

rapidly. The young-age share of

the population, now 15 per cent

of the total population, will fall

to 11 per cent by 2050. The working-age population, now almost 70 per cent of the total

will fall to 55 per cent in 2050. Meanwhile, the old-age (65+) share will grow from 17 per

cent of the population today to more than 36 per cent in 2050. No nation has ever

experienced such rapid

ageing. The population

pyramids for Japan at

three points in time,

1950, 2000 and 2050clearly shows that the

young cohorts that make


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up the base are shrinking while the elderly cohorts at the top are increasing. Not only will

the young age groups(the groups that would give birth to the children) decline, so also will

the working age groups. Only the dependent elderly will increase, thus placing a heavy

burden on a shrinking

working age population.

Causes of the decline in mortality rates: The real causes of the fertility decline are

delayed age of marriage and increased lifetime celibacy. Women are delaying marriage to

take advantage of increased opportunities for higher education and improved employment

opportunities.The proportion of Japanese women who are married has steadily declined

because of higher ages at marriage and an increasing proportion of women who never

marry at all.

Causes of the decline in mortality rates:The achievement of modern medicine and

public health under the direction of the government, improvements in the quality of life

and nutritional levels through economic growth, and the increased prevalence of concepts

of sanitation are the factors that worked together for lowering the mortality rate.


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CONSEQUENCES OF POPULATION AGEING

1. Japanese GDP is growing slowly: The years between 1945 and the mid-1970s wasthe period of most rapid growth

(about 8 % per year). Since then,

there has been a significant fall in the

rate of growth of GDP.

2. Decline in saving and investment: The changing age structure have three majorimpacts on Japans productive capacity. It reduces rates of saving and capital

accumulation. It will shrink the labour force and population ageing may slow the

growth in total factor productivity.

3. Labour supply is shrinking:Much of the economic growth of Japan occurred in thelatter half of the 1950s and 1960s when the labour force was growing rapidly and

well-educated young workers were

willing to work for relatively low

wages. But now the labour force is

grow slowly and will continue to age

hence decreasing the labour growth

rate.

4. Impact on the pension and health systems:The Japanese social security systemhas three major components: medical care, pensions and welfare. Measured by

expenditures, public pension schemes are the most significant components of the

system.People live longer, healthier lives, but toward the end of their lives, they

have longer periods of dependence on others. Over 4.9% of the elderly population

are bedridden. Hence there is a heavy stress of the fund due to large aging

population in providing them pension and health care. The share of the elderly in

total health care costs has risen from about 14 per cent in 1975 to 31 per cent in

1995; by 2025, the elderly are projected to account for half of total costs.


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http://www.indexmundi.com/japan/demographics_profile.html

Demographic statistics

Population:127,368,088 (July 2012 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 13.5% (male 8,927,803/female

8,268,937)


6,046,609)


24,686,224) 55-64 years: 14.4% (male

9,166,111/female 9,177,111)

65 years and over: 23.9% (male

13,097,558/female 17,313,315) (2012 est.)

Median age

total: 45.4 years

male: 44.1 years

female: 46.9 years (2012 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.077% (2012est.)

Birth rate: 8.39 births/1,000 population

(2012 est.)

Death rate: 9.15 deaths/1,000 population

(July 2012 est.)

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Urbanization:

urban population: 67% of total population

(2010)

rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of

change (2010-15 est.)Major cities population

TOKYO (capital) 36.507 million; Osaka-Kobe

11.325 million; Nagoya 3.257 million;

Fukuoka-Kitakyushu 2.809 million; Sapporo

2.673 million (2009)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years:

1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011

est.)Infant mortality rate

total: 2.21 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 2.44 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 1.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2012

est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 83.91 years male: 80.57

years

female: 87.43 years (2012 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.39 children born/woman (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

8,100 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS deaths

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

Nationality:

noun: Japanese (singular and plural)adjective: Japanese

Ethnic groups

Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%,

Chinese 0.4%, other0.6%

Religions:

Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%,

Christianity 2%, other 7.8%

Languages

Japanese

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%male: 99%

female: 99% (2002)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary

education):

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2008)

Education expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2007)

Maternal mortality rate

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Health expenditures9.3% of GDP (2009)

Physicians density: 2.063 physicians/1,000

population (2006)

Hospital bed density:

13.75 beds/1,000 population (2008)

Obesity-adult prevalence rate:3.1% (2000)


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Demography, Culture,and Policy: Understanding Japans Low Fertility-PATRICIA BOLING

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Social factors palys and important role in the figures shown in previous page. The average

age at first marriage in Japan is 29.8 years for men and 28.0 years for women, placing Japan

among the latest-marrying countries in the world. Japanese womens views about marriage

are changing, younger women agree less that married people are generally happier andmore likely to believe it is acceptable for a couple to live together outside of marriage.

Womens life cycle expectations are shifting in Japan as girls have more educational

opportunities and parents take greater pride in their daughters achievements.Older

parents are relying more on daughters and less on eldest sons and daughters-in-law as

companions and caretakers in old age. In other developed countries , people think that two

can live as cheaply as one but in case of Japan young adults live free of charge with their

parents before they get married and hence young people in Japan are waiting longer to

marry and more are remaining single that lead to lower fertility. The opportunity costs to

women of interrupting their career to raise children are very high, because once one takes

time off from a full-time job, it is nearly impossible to return to the same career track. One

is instead pushed into irregular part-timeor temporary jobs. As more women obtain goodjobs with Japanese companies or in the public sector, these steep opportunity costs create

disincentives to quit or take time off to have children.


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Demography, Culture,and Policy: Understanding Japans Low Fertility-PATRICIA BOLING

Policies

Childcare

In terms of policy, Japan subsidizes affordable high-quality childcare and use sliding-scale

fee systems childcare provisions for children under age three.

Source: Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare 2006; Retherford and Ogawa 2006

Immigration: Immigrants help to alleviate the demographic problem of low fertility .They

increase overall population size in the short run, low-skilled immigrants from poor

countries typically have higher fertility than natives of the high-wage host countries and

immigrants tend to be young people of childbearing age and have children after arriving in

their new homes. But unlike other low TRF countries Japans laws severely limit

immigration and naturalization and hence another contributor to low TRF.

ConclusionJapan is a small country in terms of land and population but with a very high standard of

living and is said to have entered in stage-5 ofDemographic Transition Model. It has low

fertility and mortality rate. The main problem which Japan is facing currently is of

population aging. People are delaying marriages for education and career opportunities

and hence increasing the average marriage age. Due to these factors the TRF of the country

is at a very low level.

japan demography

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