World population is increasing each year but Japan is among those few countries which is facing problem of shrinking population. This is resulting in decreasing workforce and increasing pension demand.
In 2015 there were 127 million people in Japan but by the end of 2065 it is expected to be just 88 million. Out of the population of 88 million one third will be over the age of 65.
In 2008 Japan’s population was at peak with 128.1 million people but the low birth rate is becoming harder to control. The benchmark for sustaining population is 2.1 while in Japan the birth rate is only 1.4.
Japan’s foreign minister describing his own country: the population is shrinking and aging. We have no oil, gas, uranium and not much else.
— Isabel Reynolds (@IsabelRTokyo) September 22, 2017
Lower birth rates mean the reduction the work force which is required for a stable economy and for supporting those who are on pension. The only other way to control this problem is large scale immigration but Japan fears to even think about that option.