More than 10 percent of Japanese people are over 80, a statistic reached for the first time, according to data released by the government of a country battling an aging population.
The government published these figures on Sunday on the eve of the public holiday in the Archipelago dedicated to “elderly people” (Editor’s note: those over 65). Among other data revealed, 29.1% of Japanese are over 65, an increase compared to last year (29%).
“Japan has the highest percentage of elderly people in the world,” the ministry said, referring to the two other countries on the podium, Italy (24.5%) and Finland (23.6%).
For decades, Japan has seen its population shrink and age as young people delay marriage and having children largely due to job insecurity and economic hardship.
Out of 124 million inhabitants, Japan therefore has 12.59 million people over 80 (10.1%) and 20 million over 75 (16.1%).
One of the consequences of this situation is that people are working older and older. More than 9 million older people are working, or 13.6% of the working population.
This means that 25% of older people in the archipelago are employed, less than South Korea (36.2%) but more than the United States (18.6%) and France (3.9%). according to published data.
By 2040, the share of elderly people in Japan is expected to account for 34.8% of the population.
09/18/2023 07:44:09 – Tokyo (AFP) – © 2023 AFP