New government data reveals that more than 10% of Japan’s population is now aged 80 or older, highlighting the growing issue of an aging society in the country.
Released ahead of Japan’s national holiday, “Respect for Aged Day,” the data shows that the proportion of people aged 65 or older has reached a record high of 29.1%, up from 29.0% last year. This figure exceeds that of Italy, which ranks second at 24.5%, and Finland in third place at 23.6%, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Japan has the highest percentage of elderly population in the world,” stated the ministry in a press release.
The aging of Japan’s population has been a long-standing issue, as young people increasingly delay marriage and having children due to unstable job prospects and economic hardships.
Consequently, the country is facing significant challenges in providing elderly care due to a shortage of young individuals to take up caregiving jobs and contribute to social welfare programs.
The ministry disclosed that as the baby boomer generation reaches the age of 75 or older, Japan’s population of 124.4 million continues to age. Approximately 12.59 million people in Japan are 80 years or older, and 20 million are 75 or older.
As a result, Japan has become reliant on its elderly labor force. Over 9 million elderly individuals, accounting for 13.6% of the workforce or one in seven workers, are currently employed in Japan. Although lower than South Korea’s 36.2%, this figure far surpasses that of other developing countries such as the United States at 18.6% and France at 3.9%.
The data also reveals that over one-third of individuals between the ages of 70 and 74 currently have jobs in Japan.
By 2040, it is projected that Japan’s elderly population will make up 34.8% of the total population, further emphasizing the urgent need for policies and initiatives to address the challenges posed by an aging society.