Japan’s foreign population hits record 3.5 million amid labor shortage

The number of foreigners living in Japan hit a record high of 3.5 million by mid-2024, according to Japan’s Immigration Services Agency. Dri...

Dog strollers outsell baby strollers in South Korea amid birth rate crisis

Sales of pet strollers reportedly surpassed those for babies in recent years in South Korea. This trend, which comes as the country faces de...

China ends foreign adoptions

China is ending most foreign adoptions, leaving hundreds of American and other foreign families with pending applications in uncertainty. Dr...

Japan hit with its steepest population decline ever

Japan experienced its sharpest population decline ever in 2023, dropping 861,000 (0.7%) to 121,561,801 total, according to an annual report ...

Japan asks youth about lack of marriages amid population decline

Japan’s Children and Families Agency has launched consultations with young adults to understand their views on marriage in a bid to address ...

Japanese diaper companies turn to adult market amid demographic crisis

Some diaper companies in Japan are now shifting their focus to the adult market as the demographic crisis continues. Research firm Fuji Keiz...

Most East Asians believe childbearing is women’s choice, not obligation: survey

A new Pew Research Center survey shows that societal pressure on women to have children is waning in East Asia, reflecting broader shifts in...

South Korean marriages drop 40% in a decade

Marriages in South Korea have plummeted by 40% over the past 10 years, leading to significant consequences for the country’s birth rate. Zoo...

Japan expands free day care centers to all children

The Japanese government announced that it is now offering free day care to all children aged 6 months to 2 years old, regardless of parents&...

S. Korea fertility rate drops for 4th consecutive year, beats own record for world’s lowest

South Korea’s fertility rate beat its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate after dropping for the fourth consecutive year....

How Japan is using AI to address population decline and boost marriage numbers

Japan is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) in a nationwide effort to reverse the trend of dwindling marriage numbers and bolster its p...

South Korean construction firm pays staff $75,000 each time they have a baby

A construction firm in South Korea is offering 100 million Korean won ($75,000) for every child born to its employees, in a bid to address t...

Japan demographic crisis: 1 in 10 residents are aged 80 or older

The country’s death rate has consistently surpassed its birth rate for over a decade, making it a pressing concern for local leaders ...

South Korean milestone as married lesbian couple welcomes first child via IVF

Kyu-jin became the first openly gay Korean woman to give birth when the couple welcomed their daughter Rani on Aug.30 ...

Chinese county offers $137 to women who marry at 25 or younger

The announcement seeks to encourage “age-appropriate marriage and childbearing” for first-time unions ...

Japan registers record population decline, unprecedented surge in foreign residents

This data underscores the growing significance of non-Japanese individuals in a nation grappling with demographic challenges ...

Popular S. Korean math lecturer blames Instagram for the country’s low birth rate

South Korean math lecturer and YouTuber Chung Seung-je blames Instagram for South Korea’s low birth rate in a viral video.  “Insta is to bla...

India to surpass China as world’s most populous country by mid-2023, says UN

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by mid-2023, according to the United Nations (UN). On Wednesday, the...

Why most Japanese people don’t want to live past 100

Most people in Japan do not want to live to or beyond 100 years old, according to a new survey.  In September 2022, a research firm commissi...

S. Korea to pay ‘reclusive lonely young people’ $500 a month to re-enter society

The South Korean government is offering $500 a month to “reclusive lonely young people” to help them to reconnect with society and “restore ...

Japan’s population shrinks to under 125 million in 12th straight year of decline

Japan’s population has fallen under 125 million during its 12th straight year of decline. The Japanese population reportedly decreased by 55...

Chinese colleges give students a week off to ‘go fall in love’

Nine colleges in China are giving students a weeklong spring break to “enjoy love” amid China’s declining birth rate. The schools, which are...

China clamps down on the custom of betrothal gifts to boost birth rates

China is hoping to encourage marriages and boost birth rates by cracking down on the custom of betrothal gifts.  The initiative follows a Ja...

Japan’s birth rate plunges to new record low; politician blames citizens’ lack of ‘romantic ability’

Japan’s birth rate has plunged to a new record low, undermining the country’s initiatives to remedy its aging population. According to Japan...

South Korea smashes own world record for lowest fertility rate

South Korea’s fertility rate has dropped yet again, beating its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate. According to Statistics Ko...

Yale professor backpedals after floating ‘mass suicide’ for Japan’s aging population

An assistant professor at Yale is taking a softer stance on Japan’s aging society after stirring controversy by suggesting that the “elderly...

China’s Sichuan province drops ban on unmarried people having children

The Chinese province of Sichuan will legalize childbearing for unmarried couples beginning Feb. 15, with no limits on the number of kids the...

Japan PM warns country will cease to ‘function as a society’ if population decline persists

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared a dire need for policies tackling the country’s declining birth rate, calling it “now or neve...

China’s population declines for the first time in 60 years

Before you read: China’s birth rates plummet as more women choose to not have babies due to COVID-related factors Young people in China are ...

Japan offering families $7,600 per child to move out of Tokyo

Japan is offering families 1 million yen (approximately $7,627) per child to move out of Tokyo in hopes of reducing overcrowding. An additio...

Chinese woman’s quest for successful childbirth despite 26 miscarriages sparks criticism

A Chinese mother who gave birth after 26 miscarriages faced online criticism after the hospital released her story. Her 26th miscarriage o...

China’s birth rates plummet as more women choose to not have babies due to COVID-related factors

Demographers attribute China’s rapidly declining birth rate to the country’s strict COVID-19 restrictions, with some cities reporting doubl...

Japan’s Birth Rate is Down for the 37TH YEAR in a Row

Children in Japan have decreased for the 37th consecutive year, undermining the country’s initiatives to handle its aging population. Accord...

South Korean Universities Now Have Dating Courses to Fight Low Birth Rates

Several universities in South Korea are now offering dating courses to tackle the decreasing birth and marriage rates in the country. Studen...