Japan's population logs record drop
2013-01-01 13:30
Tokyo - Japan's population logged a record drop in 2012, health ministry
estimates showed on Tuesday, highlighting concerns that an ever-dwindling pool
of workers is having to pay for a growing number of pensioners.
A record low 1 033 000 babies were born last year, against 1 245 000
deaths, resulting in a net drop of 212 000 in the nation's population of about
126 million, according to figures from the ministry.
The decline is sharper than in 2011 when the annual decline topped 200 000
for the first time as 19 000 people lost their lives in a 9.0 earthquake and
massive tsunami that followed.
Japan is rapidly greying, with more than 20% of the population aged 65 or
over - one of the highest proportions of elderly people in the world.
The country has very little immigration and any suggestion of opening its
borders to young workers who could help plug the population gap provokes strong
reactions among the public.
