世論 What Japan Thinks

I feel the biggest home-grown problem that will have a major effect on the Japan of the future is the combination of the ageing population and the drop in the birth rate, as some time soon Japan will seriously have to consider how they approach the lack of workers and the explosion in elderly people looking for government care. This recent survey from MyVoice looked in particular at the decrease in the birth rate aspect of the problem.

Demographics

Over the first five days of September 2008 15,495 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 36% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 19% in their fifties. I’ve just noticed that in the free comment column they have people up to the age of 73 answering, so from now on I’ll tag the top bracket of all MyVoice panels as fifty or older, not just as fifties.

Research results

Q1: What is the age of your youngest child? (Sample size=15,495)

Under three years old	10.0%
Three to six years old	7.5%
Six to nine years old	6.2%
Nine to twelve years old	5.7%
Twelve to fifteen years old	5.1%
Fifteen to eighteen years old	4.3%
Over eighteen years old	14.7%
Don’t have any children	46.6%

Q2: What worries do you feel regarding declining birth rates? (Sample size=15,495, multiple answer)

Tax, medical fees will increase	64.9%
Pension payments will increase	56.0%
As working population decreases, the economy will stagnate	49.2%
Society in general will lose its vitality	45.5%
Nursing staff will decrease	37.5%
Culture, techniques will not be handed down to the next generation	30.2%
Foreign workers will increased	17.7%
Other	4.7%
Don’t feel any worries	8.3%
No answer	0.4%

Q3: What do you think is the cause of the declining birth rates? (Sample size=15,495, multiple answer)

Late marriage, not marrying	56.5%
Women’s work patterns, lifestyle changes	56.4%
No financial breathing space	55.2%
Government child-rearing measures, support are not functioning	49.3%
More people are putting personal lifestyle ahead of marriage, child-rearing	47.3%
Education costs are high	46.4%
Social child-rearing support systems are not functioning	42.5%
More and more people feel mentally unprepared to handle child-rearing	36.1%
Corporate child-rearing support systems are not functioning	35.1%
Home circumstances are poor	16.2%
Other	6.0%
Don’t know	3.3%
No answer	0.3%

Q4: What countermeasures to the declining birth rates should government, corporations press forward with? (Sample size=15,495, multiple answer)

Sufficient, broadening of childcare facilities	52.2%
Increase tax breaks for families with children	50.6%
Create a workplace environment where women can continue work after having children	48.9%
Increase child support payments	48.4%
Promote various working styles where women can both work and perform child-rearing	48.2%
Increase local child-rearing support services	38.4%
Support for educational fees such as widening scholarships	38.2%
Promote various working styles where men can both work and perform child-rearing	37.0%
Increase child-birth lump sum payments	35.1%
Create a workplace environment where men can take paternity leave	31.1%
Ensure high-quality homes, living spaces	19.9%
Other	8.7%
Nothing in particular	6.5%
No answer	0.4%

Q5: Which of the following statements do you feel you agree with? (Sample size=15,495, multiple answer)

Whether to marry or not is a personal freedom	79.0%
Husband and wife should co-operate to split the burden of chird-reas\ring	74.5%
Whether to have children or not is a personal freedom	63.7%
For the children’s sake, it’s inevitable that parents will have to make a number of sacrifices	54.1%
After marriage the amount of money to use for oneself decreases	50.0%
It is enjoyable to bring up children	45.8%
The government should throw more taxes at tackling the birth rate decline	44.5%
After marriage one can feel mentally at ease	42.4%
If there was an environment where men could take paternity leave, work shorter hours, the childbirth rate would increase	25.7%
After marriage one can be financially sound	9.8%
None of the above	3.0%
No answer	0.4%

There followed two pie charts detailing employment type of the respondents and their spouses, but without sex information they are quite meaningless.