Japan's huge sex problem just hit a 67-year low: Yahoo News/Reuters/Business Insider

[Stuart G]

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/japans-population-crisis-just-hit-153200834.html

Chris Weller
Business Insider, May 04, 2017

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Ever since 1950 when Japan began tracking its population of children, the number has never been as low as it is today.

New data from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry finds the population shrank by 170,000 kids from this time last year, to a new low of 15.71 million, The Japan Times reports.

This is the 36th consecutive year the population has dropped.

Japan's fertility crisis has been many years in the making. As older generations start to die off without younger generations starting families behind them, economists say Japan shows all the signs of a "demographic time bomb."

Without any intervention, Japan's economy will only continue to shrink.

[sharedvalues]

1. This is why countries need immigration

Immigrants are active energetic mostly young people.

Immigrants have helped make America's economy strong.

ICE and John Kelly are literally weakening the country. Thanks, General Kelly.

[Girard442]

2. Tsk, tsk...

Isn't it obvious to you that the regions that shun immigration and diversity and embrace racial purity are true dynamos of this country?

Like, y'know, Mississippi?

[StevieM]

6. I agree. When your birthrate is low the obvious solution, at least in the short term, is to take in

immigrants. Japan needs them if they are going to avoid having an insane worker-to-retiree ratio.

But from what I understand they don't want to do that.

[sharedvalues]

7. yup. Both Japan and Europe are aging

Japan has a serious aging problem that is damaging their economy and could be devastating.

Many countries in Europe have falling birth rates as well and are using great child care and maternity and paternity policies to encourage their citizens to have kids.

The US has traditionally combated this problem with immigration. But apparently we're about to cripple that supply of young ambitious, hardworking people coming to our economy.

[Nitram]

3. I would have thought it had hit a 67 year "high." I guess it depends on your perspective.

Birthrate is low, problem is high.

[jmowreader]

4. It may be an economic problem rather than a "sex problem"

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-29/millions-of-japanese-over-35-still-live-with-mom-and-dad

There aren't really enough jobs to go around in Japan, so people are remaining unmarried, unemployed and under their parents' roofs.

[Dopers_Greed]

5. This, and...

The jobs that are available demand insane hours, so the people doing them are less interested in spending their limited free time raising a family.