Japan’s declining population worries PM Fumio Kishida, who stresses need to take steps to overcome dipping birth rates

Tokyo: The population in Japan has been declining at a rapid pace, and it is a matter of concern for the entire nation.

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On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida claimed that time has come to take some much-needed steps to overcome the country’s dipping birth rates, saying it was “now or never” for one of the world’s oldest societies.

In recent years, Japan has encouraged people to increase the birth rates and promised cash bonuses and better benefits for those who bear more children.

Last year, slow births broke all records, as per official estimates, dropping below 800,000 for the first time.

“It is now or never when it comes to policies regarding births and child-rearing – it is an issue that simply cannot wait any longer,” he added.

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Japan is considered the third-most-expensive country in the world for the upbringing of a child, behind only China and South Korea. According to YuWa Population Research, the shrinking population is a worrying sign for the Japanese government and its economy.

Last week, it was reported that population of China dropped in 2022 for the first time in 60 years.