- 14 Mar 2002
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Japan, a country already facing the challenges of an ageing population, is now grappling with a new demographic trend: a significant increase in elderly individuals living alone. While the population is ageing, the number of elderly Japanese living without family or support is expected to rise dramatically in the coming decades. In 2020, approximately 20% of Japanese households comprised a single elderly person. This figure is projected to increase in the next two decades, with 16 out of Japan's 47 prefectures expecting over 20% of their elderly population to live alone by 2040.
Japan predicts sharp rise in single elderly households | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Many countries are grappling with the demographic time bomb of aging populations, and Japan is at the global forefront of this challenge. It's not only that society is graying. New statistics warn of a major spike in the number of elderly Japanese living alone, with almost no one to support them.