# ICT Utilization Useful for Solving Social Problems

Chapter 4 surveys ICT utilization that is useful for solving social problems confronting Japan. Problems covered here are decrease in working-age population and population outflow from rural areas, which interlock with each other. The problems may lead directly to productivity decline and shrinking local economies, which can inhibit the Fourth Industrial Revolution described in Chapters 1 to 3. Therefore, they also require investigation, in this white paper, which, is called “Data-driven Economy and Social Change.”

## Section 1 Advent of Depopulating Society and Countermeasures

Out of social problems in Japan, this section describes effects of the advent of depopulating society on economy and lays out the direction for ICT utilization useful for solving the problems.

### 1. Accelerating decrease in working-age population

## (1) Problems of depopulating society and future estimates

As the country’s population has aged and birthrate decreased, the working age population has been dwindling from its peak in 1995 and the total population has been in decline since its peak in 2008. According to the 2015 Census, the total population in 2015 was 127.09 million and working-age population (15 to 64) was 76.29 million. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that the total population will be 119.13 million in 2030, decline to below 100 million in

### 2. Current employment situation

Let us look at the human resource demand-supply situation of enterprises. The active opening rate has been on the increase since 2009 and reached 1.48 in

### 3. Direction of solutions

## (1) Why ICT utilization?

In order to achieve medium- to long-term economic growth without being influenced by productivity decline due to the declining birth rate and aging population and accompanying decline in working-age population, we need enhancement of the labor force participation rate and labor productivity in the field of working-style reform. As a way of ICT utilization to realize “Enhancement of the labor force participation rate” we pay attention to “teleworking.” To achieve “Enhancement of labor productivity” we take up “ICT investment” and “Utilization of AI, etc.”

In terms of regional revitalization, we need “Increase in exchange population” and “Increase in residential 2053 and to 92.84 million by 2060. Similarly, working-age population is expected to decline to 68.75 million by 2030 and to 47.93 million by 2060. Such decline in the total population and working-age population will have a major effect on the country’s socioeconomy. Population decline is anticipated to be more significant in areas other than the three major metropolitan areas (“rural areas”) due to population outflow from rural areas to the three major metropolitan areas.

April 2017, the highest since the bubble economy. Labor shortage is becoming a problem common to three major metropolitan areas and rural areas.

"population." For the former, inbound demand from tourists from overseas is expected. As measures to use ICT for this purpose, we take up "information provision" and "development of Wi-Fi environments" for tourists from overseas visiting Japan.

For “Increase in residential population” it is necessary to increase local jobs while at the same time increasing income from outside. In order to plan and promote effective measures, it is essential to collect and analyze relevant information including user/visitor needs and measure effects. Therefore, we take up “Information collection/analysis” as a measure for ICT utilization to realize “Increase in residential population” (Figure 4-1-3-1).