Elon Musk is the undisputed king of controversy, and he has sparked yet another. He recently tweeted in response to a user’s comments that Japan will ‘eventually cease to exist’ unless the birthrate increases. The billionaire posted on Twitter, ‘At the risk of stating the obvious, Japan will someday cease to exist unless something happens to force the birth rate to exceed the mortality rate. This would be a huge loss for the entire globe.’
Musk’s post sparked a storm of sarcasm and fury, with individuals wondering what the point of the statement is and others agreeing with the Tesla CEO. Others pointed out that low birth rates are a concern in many nations, including Germany, where Tesla recently built a new factory, and that Japan was merely the first to be hit.
So, what is going on in Japan?
For the 11th year in a row, the country’s population is expected to fall in 2021. The country’s population was 125.5 million as of October 1, down 644,000 from the previous year. In Japan in 2021, there were 831,000 births but also 1.44 million deaths. According to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, this is the greatest decline since comparable statistics began available in 1950, according to Kyodo News.
What is the reason for the population decline?
Japan faces two challenges: a declining labour force and an ageing population. While the rate of reduction has slowed in recent years as a result of an increase in international personnel entering through a more liberal visa system, coronavirus has had a negative influence, discouraging enterprises from experiencing labour shortages by recruiting foreign workers.
What does a declining population do to a country?
A neighbourhood with a larger number of older inhabitants may be less enticing to enterprises. Business owners confront a scarcity of competent labour, while the country’s economy suffers in the absence of foreign investment. However, as several people pointed out in response to Musk’s post, Japan is not alone in dealing with this issue; nations such as Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, and others are also affected.
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