Half Of Japan's Millennials Reluctant To Have Children, Caused By Economic Problems And Nursing Burden

Illustration of visitors queuing to take pictures with the statue of "Anpanman" child superhero anime at the Anpanman Children's Museum, Yokohama. (photo: dock. intermediate)

JAKARTA - About half of the number of singles under 30 years of age in Japan are not interested in having children, according to a recent survey conducted by pharmaceutical company Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. The respondents in the survey admitted that they were reluctant to have children due to economic problems, the burden of childbirth, and the task of raising children. The 400 respondents aged 18-29 years, 49.4 percent of whom said they did not want to have children. The percentage is highest than the three annual surveys that have been conducted by Rohto. Based on gender, it was found that 53.0 percent of men and 45.6 percent of women are not interested in being elderly, citing the high cost and concern of Japan's future, the Osaka-based company said at the end of March. The results of the online survey conducted in January emerged after government data showed that the number of babies born in Japan fell in the past year to below 800,000 births. This figure is the lowest since the records of infant birth began in 1899.

Japan has an increasing age population. To increase birth rates, the government in April launched the Child and Family Agency to oversee child policy, including child abuse and poverty. The company survey in 2022 found that 48.1 percent of married men and women, who want to have children, are working together for the fertility of their partners. The survey involved 800 married couples aged 25-44 years. This figure is down significantly from 60.3 percent in the survey in 2020. A Roto official speculated that people spent less time with their partners as life gradually returned to normal after the coronavirus pandemic.