Japan, paying to procreate

This is something basic you learn in college geography classes. Populations that are fully industrialized "first world" countries generally have less children because the population is well educated and the economies are robust. Observable statistics have demonstrated this phenomena, but countries with high standards of living tend to have lower birth rates than countries of the "second and third worlds". These countries have much higher birth rates and the correlation is a much lower standard of living. For many of them their existence is extreme poverty and illness. Even when you factor in death rates with birth rates to arrive at whether or not there is a population increase you will find that industrialized nations in many instances experience population declines because mortality exceed birth rates. If it weren't for immigration to the industrialized countries, their populations would not increase and grow their economies.

The growth of an economy is in proportion to the strength of numbers in the work force, provided you have something that is being produced, that people want. When birth rates decline, you have to replace those missing new workers that are going to keep those jobs filled. And if you are like the Japanese in their level of cultural preservation, this is probably a move to ensure that the majority of those jobs of the future being filled are going to be filled by Japanese and not foreigners. Japanese work ethics are very strict and most foreigners are like elephants in a glass shop when they try to mesh with the Japanese, especially if "getting that deal signed" depends on your understanding of local customs relating to honor and respect.

Giving money to people might not be the most ethical way to do things, but people will do lots of things they normally wouldn't if a cash prize is involved.

It's interesting to note that this island nation of people who choose not to procreate was the first country in the world to make birth control pills legal.

You've hit the nail right on the head, NeutronA...

I think a bit of Japan's population decline has to do with the liberation of women after WWII. Before then women were treated like chattel now their rights confound their misogynistic society's expectations. Japanese women are no longer content to be mere baby factories trapped at home caring for their salaryman's children while their hubby drinks the night away with a bar hostess after work. In my opinion Japanese men need to change their attitudes

depends. Are they paying enough to say, put a kid through school? that's the killer cost in japan and it is not a small one.

Obviously, they are no longer procreating because the women cry so damn much during.

SIGNED:...Dolly the Dolphin & Wally the Whale...

Japan really needs to find the root cause of their problem otherwise they wont be around for much longer...

We have had 'the Baby Bonus' here in Oz for years. The problem here lies when people are just having babies for the money.

I don't think throwing money is the answer. Perhaps lightening up their workload would be a solution. Their culture seems to put a lot of stress into career and success.

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They are more work orientated and kids get in the way.