Japan - Ageing Pop/ High dependent pop/ Low natural increase

Question 1

Fertility rate

Answer 1

1.5

Question 2

Japanese that are 60+

Answer 2

20%

Question 3

Causes

Answer 3

• Good sanitation + QOL
• Strict visiting and immigration laws –> disease check
• Advanced healthcare system
• Women in workforce
• More people are for the health trend
• 210:1000 doctor patient ratio
• High GDP –> More investment in healthcare

Question 4

IMP Social

Answer 4

• Less physically capable society members
• More people need to take care of the elderly –> financial difficulties
• Schools may close if govt. wants to spend more on elderly
• Stigma around institutionalisation, but with longer life expectancy it becomes more difficult –> In 1970s families started hospitalising elderly ‘social hospitalisation’ bc healthcare was free, though this was later abolished.
• Institutionalisation is becoming less stigmatised but Japan will need 1 million more care workers and nurses by 2025 to solve it

Question 5

IMP Demographic

Answer 5

• Unbalanced pop

- Natural decrease

Question 6

IMP Economic

Answer 6

• Smaller workforce –> GDP lower –> poorer country –> not maximising resources and prod. –> lesser people to fund economy
• Lesser taxes from working pop & taxes increase to make up for it
• More money into pensions & healthcare –> less into investment and growth: 10.7 % of 2017’s GDP was used for healthcare ; Social security payments accounted for 33.3% of FY 2017 general account government expenditure (almost double of theirs in 1990)
• Possible job opportunities in elderly care

Question 7

Political

Answer 7

• One sided voting depending on mindset of the elderly
• Fewer taxpayers
• Govt influenced more to spend on healthcare and pensions.

Question 8

Solutions

Answer 8

• Pro natalist policies –> One plus policy & The nEW aNGEL PLAN (Reducing edu costs, improving family housing, improving childcare systems)
• Under PM Abe’s Abenomics initiative –> Increasing workforce by incentivising female participation, using technological advancements to increase efficiency hence productivity (less physical labour)
• Other policies - educating children more to make workforce stronger when they are of age, relaxing immigration policies
• Japan govt. considering raising retirement age from 60 to 65 –> aim to complete this adjustment by 2025
• Health promotion programmes including diet, vaccinations etc. that could reduce healthcare expenditure. Pneumonia was third leading cause of death in 2016, which can be easily prevented by vaccines