page_title: Aging of Japan
hierarchical_section_title: Aging of Japan
caption_attribution_description: English: Historic population of Japan (1920-2010) from census results for 1920, 1930, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010. Population projection (2011-2060) from National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS) Population Projections for Japan (January 2012), based on a medium-fertility assumption, where the age of marriage and the proportion of those who never marry increases while the total fertility rate decreases to 1.35 in 2060.
context_page_description: Japan has the highest proportion of elderly citizens of any country in the world. The country is experiencing a "super-aging" society both in rural and urban areas. According to 2014 estimates, 33.0% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, 25.9% are aged 65 or above, and 12.5% are aged 75 or above. People aged 65 and older in Japan make up a quarter of its total population, estimated to reach a third by 2050.
  Japan had a post-war baby boom between 1947 and 1949. In 1948, Japan legalized abortion under special circumstances. The Eugenic Protection Law of 1948 allowed the involuntary sterilization of babies with intellectual disabilities until the law was overturned in 1996.
  This was followed by a prolonged period of low fertility, resulting in the aging population of Japan. The dramatic aging of Japanese society as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates and high life expectancy is expected to continue. Japan's population began to decline in 2011. In 2014, Japan's population was estimated at 127 million; this figure is expected to shrink to 107 million by 2040 and to 97 million by 2050 should the current demographic trend continue.
context_section_description: Japan has the highest proportion of elderly citizens of any country in the world. The country is experiencing a "super-aging" society both in rural and urban areas. According to 2014 estimates, 33.0% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, 25.9% are aged 65 or above, and 12.5% are aged 75 or above. People aged 65 and older in Japan make up a quarter of its total population, estimated to reach a third by 2050.
  Japan had a post-war baby boom between 1947 and 1949. In 1948, Japan legalized abortion under special circumstances. The Eugenic Protection Law of 1948 allowed the involuntary sterilization of babies with intellectual disabilities until the law was overturned in 1996.
  This was followed by a prolonged period of low fertility, resulting in the aging population of Japan. The dramatic aging of Japanese society as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates and high life expectancy is expected to continue. Japan's population began to decline in 2011. In 2014, Japan's population was estimated at 127 million; this figure is expected to shrink to 107 million (16%) by 2040 and to 97 million (24%) by 2050 should the current demographic trend continue.
  Japanese citizens largely view Japan as comfortable and modern, resulting in no sense of a population crisis. The government of Japan has responded to concerns about the stress that demographic changes place on the economy and social services with policies intended to restore the fertility rate and make the elderly more active in society.
caption: Japan's population from 1920 to 2010, with population projections out to 2060
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