A recent study by a university research institute forecasts not only a more significant rapid aging of Japanese society than had initially been anticipated, but also an increase in the number of elderly people needing nursing care and assistance.
The Nihon University Population Research Institute has released its most recent population projection for Japan, covering 2000 to 2025. It shows a higher rate of aging than that projected by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in a study published in January.
Until now, the graying of society was primarily attributed to the nation's low birthrate. From this point, however, the population's longer life expectancy will have a bigger impact, according to Naohiro Ogawa, a Nihon University professor involved in the study.