Family in Japan
I've done some research on Japan and putting all together in our blog to help you understand the nation.
This post describes "Family" in Japan.
1. Average number of people in a family.
According to survey conducted by the government in 2010, the average number of people in a Japanese family was 2.42. Compared to a survey in 1955, the average significantly dropped from 5.0. So, over 50% of decrease.
A main reason for the decrease is a change in form of families due to changes in their lifestyles.
They used to live together in suburban area to help out with their farm works. But after the WW2, many people moved to metropolitan areas and becoming "nuclear family" which consisting of one couple and their children. The number of senior citizens over 75 years old living alone is estimated to triple in next 10 years. Becoming more difficult for the government to maintaining and securing financial resources.
Pensions for senior citizens are paid when one becomes 65, which is used to be paid when 60. Also the amount they receive is cut down recently, making harder for old folks to keep their quality of lives.
2. Fertility rate.
Since 1982, fertility rate in average has been decreasing. In 2004, it was said the average is 1.29. A tiny improvement was recorded in 2012, was 1.41. It is said that 2.07 is minimum average to maintain the present population of Japan. So, it is also said that population of Japan will rapidly fall after a decade or two.
This situation is stimulated by fall in birthrate.
In 2016, the government carried out a survey about children ratio in its population.
The rate of children compared to total population is 12.6%, which in decrease 42 years in a row. This will lead to society that a ratio of working citizens support senior ones is 1.3:1 by 2050. In other words, almost single working citizen automatically be allocated grandpa or grandma who is not blood related and must support his or her life in 30 years time.
What is the major cause? It is because more of women are spending more time on their education and self-development which purpose is to pursuit their career. Since working environment for women in Japan is yet premature, especially for women who wish to combine their career and raise their kids. It makes more women to marry late and have fewer children than in past. The percentage of unmarried women those of the optimum child bearing age, that is among 25 to 29, is high as 60.3% in 2010.
3. "Ohitori-sama".
A word "Ohitori-sama" is becoming common in Japan, meaning single person who does not marry and enjoy staying single. This word is made by Japanese journalist, Kumiko Iwashita in 1999.
The number of "Ohitori-sama" is rapidly growing to 10,000,000.
Among the age of 30 to 34, unmarried ratio of men is 47% (16,639,477) and women is 32% (13,090,455).
Comments