"Japan's birthrate fell to a record low of just 1.12 million babies, or about 1.29 children per couple, in 2003. The rate, which measures the average number of times a woman gives birth during her lifetime, dropped 0.03 points from the previous low of 1.32 in 2002. The falling birthrate is a serious worry for Japan as it looks forward to the possibility of labor shortages, a diminshed tax base and pension system insolvency. "
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
SUICIDE
"Suicides rose 7.1 percent to 32,082 in 2003 from 29,949 the years before, according to figures released June 11 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Suicide was the sixth leading cause of death after cancer, heart disease and other illnesses, and the leading cause of death among men in their 50s, a demographic that has borne the brunt of corporate restructuring and the economic slump. Suicide was also the No. 1 cause of death among those in their 20s and 30s, the age groups that are less likely to die from illnesses."
Source: The Japan Times
Both quotes from the July 2004 issue of The Japan Journal
1 comment:
I'm going to book a ticket immediately to go and impregnate as many Japanese women as humanly possible to help out the birthrate issue.
The only problem is, I've noticed that the suicide rates go up exponentially by the amount of times I've slept with a person...*sigh*.
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