Why Japan's population is aging faster than any other country

Japan has recorded another steep drop in its population – despite government efforts to reverse the trend by encouraging people to have more children. Japan's population fell to 123.8 million people in 2024 – marking the 14th straight annual decrease. The decline is not only being driven by low birth rates. Japan's restrictive immigration policy is also a factor. Japan's population is aging faster than any other country. Almost 30 percent of Japanese citizens are now aged 65 or over. In Germany, that figure stands at around 22 percent.

How to live longer, according to science

Many assume that how we age comes down to genetics, but environmental factors play a major role. Professor Rose Anne Kenny explains the science behind living a longer, healthier life.

 

How China’s ageing population may topple its economic ambitions

 China is struggling to encourage couples to have more children, risking its long-term economic prospects.

China’s status as the factory of the world is under threat. Not from the United States, which is looking at ways to slow its economic dominance, but from its own falling birth rate.

Fewer babies mean fewer workers to power factories and economic growth.