Written by John Lounsbury
Econintersect: Eighteen months ago we had a Documentary of the Week asking the question: Will the Japanese Become Extinct? The video in that article is no longer available to the public so we are posting a new one.
Graph from Japan Pensions Industry Database.
With a plummeting birth rate and a rapidly aging population, Japan is facing an unprecedented population collapse with vast economic, social and political implications. This sixteen and a half minute video examines the dangers facing the nation and the apparent lack of action to address the problems that exist now and appear to be growing unchecked. Japan’s population peaked in 2007 at 127.771 million and has declined every year since. The projected population for 2100 is about 47 million, declining at a rate of about 2% per year. If that were to continue to 2200 the entire population of Japan would be a little more than 6 million, and by 2300, a little more than 800,000.
In recent weeks Japan has showed the first sytemic approach to address the demographic problem. See here and here. Immigrants for many occupations are likely to follow. Sufficient immigration could stabilize the country’s population.
In the meantime, the Japanese are struggling with an increasingly aged population.
Source: YouTube
