One in five households Japanwhich currently faces the challenge of caring for its aging population, will be made up of older people who will live alone in 2050, a study revealed on Friday.
In 2050, 10.8 million older people will live alone, representing 20.6% of households, according to projections by the National Institute for Research on Population and Social Security.
These figures represent a considerable increase compared to 2020, when it was reported that 7.37 million elderly people lived alone, that is, the 13.2% of households, according to these projections published by the Institute every five years.
Young Japanese are marrying later and later or deciding not to have children, as they do not have the means to ensure their education.
Japan faces a demographic challenge as the growing number of elderly people drives up the costs of medical care and long-term care, while the workforce able to finance this expense declines.
Many elderly people have children or relatives who can take care of them, even if they live alone, reveals the Institute.
“However, in about thirty years, the proportion of households made up of an elderly person without children who lives alone” will increase, while the number of family members who act as caregivers will decrease, according to the study.
The country’s population fell by 595,000 in 2023, to 124 million, according to government statistics released Friday.
This decrease was offset by the arrival of foreigners, since the population of Japanese nationals fell by 837,000 people, to 121 million. The Japanese government tried unsuccessfully to stop the demographic decline.
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Source: Gestion
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