A panel tasked with tackling the country's declining population on Friday compiled its final report that sets a goal of maintaining gross domestic product growth of around 1.5 percent to 2.0 percent even after 50 years.
The panel under the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy calls in the report for doubling the budget designed for measures to counter the declining birthrate by around 2020, and for boosting by 5 percent the employment rate of women in their 30s and 40s.
The report is expected to be reflected in steps taken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration to curb Japan's shrinking population. Concrete measures to address the issue are likely to be contained in a forthcoming comprehensive strategy and in a draft budget for fiscal 2015.