The Daily Brief Japan and the future of an ageing world
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Aug 26, 2025 The discussion dives into Japan's pressing demographic challenges, notably plummeting fertility rates and an aging populace. It also explores innovative solutions like increasing women and senior workforce participation to adapt economically. A comparison with India reveals the stark contrasts in female employment trends, raising questions on legislative impacts. Finally, the podcast sheds light on necessary legal reforms to improve women's job safety and economic opportunities in both nations, underscoring the complexity of these issues.
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Japan’s Demographic Double Whammy
- Japan experienced a demographic double whammy: plunging fertility and rising life expectancy that shrank its workforce.
- Its working-age population peaked in 1995 and total population began falling by 2008, shaping long-term economic outcomes.
Deflation Hid Labour Shortages
- Three decades of deflation hid labour shortages by suppressing wages and demand until a post-pandemic inflation shock.
- The 2023 inflation surge and 2025 wage negotiations finally broke the deflationary equilibrium and tightened labour markets.
Women And Seniors Filled Jobs
- Japan increased female and senior participation through policy and social change, offsetting population decline.
- By June 2025, 78% of working-age women participated and over a quarter of 65+ Japanese people worked.