Take Money Make Baby; Japan’s Lure for Couples

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has offered extra financial incentives to couples to add a baby to their family, reported Japan Today. It is an effort of the Japanese government to check fast declining birth rate in the country. Most Japanese couples are not interested to have babies.

At present any new parents in Japan get Lump-Sum Grant of 420,000 yen (Rs 2,52,338) towards Childbirth and Childcare benefits. Now the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, Katsunobu Kato has declared to raise this childbirth incentive to 500,000 yen (Rs 3,00,402). According to Japan Today, he has already discussed it with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This hike in childbirth benefits is expected to be implemented from 2023.

But as per Japanese couples, even after the hike in government incentives, it will not meet the delivery costs of a child. Delivery expenses in Japan are quite high at around 473,000 yen in Japan, which usually prompts couples to refrain from having a child. Even after the increase in government grants, on average couples will only have 30,000 yen left in hand after the delivery in the hospital. Taking care of a newborn is also costly in Japan.

So, young Japanese couples do not want to have a baby fearing that it may jeopardize their financial condition and future life. As per Japan government, in 2021 the country had the fewest births in more than a century. Japan is reported to have 8,11,604 births and 14,39,809 deaths in 2021. So, Japan’s population declined by 6,28,205, it was the largest natural population decline in Japan’s history.

Decrease in the number of women of childbearing age as well as decline in the fertility rate of women in their twenties has added to the woes.