Japan struggles as underpopulation hits record low

The government is worried about the constant decline of the population and considers it a national crisis.

a 6-month-old girl,  waits at Ueno Zoo to see a 6-month-old female giant panda cub in Tokyo, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.
AP

a 6-month-old girl, waits at Ueno Zoo to see a 6-month-old female giant panda cub in Tokyo, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.

Governments in Japan have for years tried to encourage families to have more children but the population keeps shrinking, and aging.

More Japanese adults are avoiding marriage and recent data shows that this is having a drastic impact on birth rates. 

Japan has a population of about 125 million, not including foreigners.

People aged 65 or older accounted for 27.2 percent of the total population, the highest ratio on record, according to data released in July, while those aged 14 or younger fell to a record low of 12.7 percent.

TRT World's Haruka Nuga reports.

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