In about 13 years, when the generation born in the first baby-boom period immediately after World War II reaches old age, Japan will become a full-fledged aged society. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the elderly population aged 65 years or over will number 33 million and will account for more than 26 percent of the population. By the middle of the century. this elderly ratio is forecast to reach 36 percent, and Japan will have the most aged population in the world.
This rapid aging of the population will result from a sharp decline in the birthrate, and it will be accompanied by the shrinking of Japan's population as a whole. After peaking in 2006, the total population will move into a downward trend and decrease by half over the next century. The coincidence of a declining birthrate, aged society and declining population could weaken the country's economic strength. It could also force changes in the framework of social security, such as pensions and medical expenses.
However, we should not be pessimistic about the dramatic changes that are taking place in the population structure; we should turn our attention to the positive aspects and evaluate them in an affirmative manner.