Japan is on track for ‘extinction’ due to declining birth rate and aging population, expert warns

A Japanese professor has predicted the year Japan will become extinct if the country does not grapple with its rapidly aging population.

The year is 2720 and away from science fiction fantasies of flying cars, robots and intergalactic travel to distant stars, a Tokyo academic has created a devastating projection.

Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor at Tohoku University’s Research Center for Aged Economy and Society, claims that after centuries of population decline, Japan will have only one child under the age of 14 by 2720.

Mr. Yoshida has been conducting demographic simulations since 2012 and his latest finding is that, according to his current forecast, his house will likely cease to exist in 695 years. The times.

Shocking data released by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications prompted Yoshida to bring forward his estimate by 100 years after it showed a sharp 2.3 percent decline in the number of children.

The number of births in Japan has fallen steadily since the 1970s, until in 2005 the number of deaths exceeded the number of births.

In 2022, there were almost a million more deaths than births in Japan and the percentage of people over 65 is currently 29.9 percent of the population – that’s an increase of 24.1 percent since 1960.

Mr Yoshida told Japanese media that the country’s prolonged recession means young people cannot marry or have children because of low incomes.

A young Japanese family. Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor at Tohoku University’s Research Center for Aged Economy and Society, claims that after centuries of population decline, Japan will have just one child under the age of 14 by 2720.

He said: ‘Unless the decline in births stops, the ‘clock’ hand will go back.

‘Japan may become the first country to become extinct due to a low birth rate. We must create an environment in which women and older people can work, and strive for a society in which everyone is actively involved.’

Japanese politicians have been trying to find solutions to the country’s demographic crisis, with some policymakers warning that the country only has until 2030 to reverse the trend.

Rather than extinction, the most immediate threats to Japan are those arising from having more elderly people caring for them but fewer young people in the labor market.

To address this Newsweek reported that Japan plans to relax its strict immigration policies to allow more foreign workers into the country.

The government hopes to triple the number of workers from abroad by 2040.

It also plans to hand out more cash incentives, with 5.3 trillion yen (or £27 billion) earmarked to help couples start a family.

Officials hope that if couples see more cash in their wallets, they might be more willing to have children.

A young couple in Tokyo. Last year, the Tokyo subway government even launched its own dating app to boost the birth rate. The move was described by a Tokyo official as a “gentle push” to help young singles in the capital find their future wives and husbands.

Japan’s work-life imbalance is another area the government is keen to address.

In Tokyo, state government workers will work a four-day work week and in another policy, parents of young children will be allowed to clock out two hours early in exchange for a pay cut.

With other incentives, the government is encouraging couples to get married and advocating for greater gender equality.

Last year, the Tokyo subway government even launched its own dating app to boost the birth rate.

Users must prove they are single, proof of their income and a signed letter stating they want to get married.

The move was described by a Tokyo official as a “gentle push” to help young singles in the capital find their future wives and husbands.