News in Easy English: Fewer parents in Japan want a second child
TOKYO -- Fewer parents in Japan want a second child. A survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. found that only 28.2% of parents with one child want
In Japan, fewer parents want to have a second child, according to a recent survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. Only 28.2% of parents with one child expressed a desire for another child, which is the lowest percentage ever recorded in the survey. The survey, conducted in September, involved 1,100 men and women who had children aged 6 or younger. The survey began in 2018 and has been conducted nine times, with the new results released on October 19.
In 2020, the percentage of parents wanting a second child was 56.9%, shortly after the Japanese government made kindergarten and day care fees free in principle for children aged 3 and older. However, this figure dropped for six consecutive years, reaching 28.2% in 2023. This is less than half of the level observed in 2020. Some parents expressed a desire for a second child but cited difficulties, while others were content with their current family size.
About 54.5% of these individuals cited concerns about future income as a reason for not wanting another child.
Despite these concerns, 60.4% of respondents said that a higher couple's income would encourage them to have another child. Additionally, 22.9% believed that lower inflation would make a second child more feasible. Kazutaka Maeda, a senior economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute Inc., attributed the rising prices of everyday childcare items, such as diapers and baby food, to the financial strain on family budgets.
He also noted that real wages are increasing, but people do not feel the improvement in their purchasing power.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
