One in ten Japanese people is over 80 years old, announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

日本人の１０人に１人が８０歳以上　総務省発表

2023.09.19 Tue posted at 16:00 JST

東京（ＣＮＮ） 高齢化が進む日本で、８０歳以上の人口が初めて１０％を超えたことが、総務省の推計で明らかになった。

総務省が１８日の「敬老の日」に合わせて発表した人口推計によると、６５歳以上の高齢者も全人口の２９．１％と、過去最高の割合を占めている。

日本は世界トップクラスの平均寿命を誇る一方、出生率の低下と労働人口の減少が目立ち、年金制度や医療体制への影響が懸念されている。

日本政府は対策の一環として、高齢者や専業主婦の就労を促してきた。総務省の発表によると、６５歳以上の就業者数は１９年連続で増加し、９１２万人を記録。就業者全体に占める割合は１３％を超えた。日本の高齢者の就業率は、主要国の中で最上位に入る。

だが少子高齢化対策は決して十分とはいえない。岸田文雄首相は今年１月の施政方針演説で、日本は社会機能を維持できるかどうかの瀬戸際にあると述べ、子育て支援を最重要課題と位置付けた。

近隣の中国、韓国、シンガポール、台湾も少子化問題に直面し、対策に苦慮している。

Translation

Tokyo (CNN) According to estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan's population was aging, and the number of people over 80 had exceeded 10% for the first time.

According to population estimates released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the occasion of Respect for the Aged Day on the 18th, elderly people aged 65 and over accounted for 29.1% of the total population, the highest percentage ever.

While Japan boasted one of the world's highest average life expectancies, the decline in the birth rate and the working population were noticeable, and there were concerns about the impact on the pension system and medical care system.

As part of its countermeasures, the Japanese government had encouraged the elderly and professional housewives to work. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of employed people aged 65 and over had increased for 19 years consecutively, reaching 9.12 million. This exceeded 13% of the total employed population. Japan's elderly employment rate was among the highest among major countries.

However, countermeasures against the declining birthrate and aging population were by no means sufficient. In his policy speech in January, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that Japan was on the verge of whether social functions could be sustained, and put supporting child-rearing as an issue of top priority.

Neighboring countries such as China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan were also facing the problem of declining birthrates and were struggling to take countermeasures.

So, Japan is facing the population aging problem with the number of people over 80 exceeding 10%. As part of its solution, the Japanese government has been encouraging the elderly and professional housewives to work. Probably other major Asian countries such as China will do the same to deal with their aging population problems.