Japan is in the grip of a deepening demographic crisis. In 2024, the country recorded over 900,000 deaths and just 686,061 births, the lowest birth rate since 1899. According to Japan’s official government data. For every child born, more than two people died, marking the steepest population drop since 1968.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the crisis “quite an emergency.” He has promised sweeping family-friendly reforms, including free childcare and more flexible work hours, in a bid to support young families and reverse the trend.
Despite years of government incentives like housing subsidies and paid parental leave, the birth rate continues to plummet. Experts blame a mix of cultural and economic pressures. Rising living costs, stagnant wages, and rigid work culture make it hard for many young people to start families. Women face especially tough choices, often carrying most of the childcare burden in a society that still holds on to traditional gender roles.
Meanwhile, the foreign population in Japan reached its highest level since tracking began in 2013, slightly offsetting the overall decline.
As the numbers spread online, users reacted with a mix of concern and curiosity. Several questioned whether AI like ChatGPT could help solve Japan’s population woes. “When you walk in the streets of Japan, you don’t see children at all,” one user wrote. “Sadly, the Japanese are not having children.” Another added, “Can AI help Japan’s population?” tagging major AI platforms.
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One viral comment read: “If AI can help address Japan’s birth crisis, it would be a clear sign of tech’s real value to humanity.”
While no chatbot can raise birth rates, the conversation reflects a growing belief that technology must be part of the solution especially as traditional policies fail to deliver fast enough.
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