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I've read that Japan's population has leveled out or is even decreasing. Why would that be?
They would be the only Asian nation with a decreasing population.
Also, I read in a Time ad supplement that Thailand makes the most computer disk drives in the world. Why would it be Thailand and not, say, China or Japan?
I've read that Japan's population has leveled out or is even decreasing. Why would that be?
They would be the only Asian nation with a decreasing population.
Also, I read in a Time ad supplement that Thailand makes the most computer disk drives in the world. Why would it be Thailand and not, say, China or Japan?
Big social changes have been underway in Japan for a long time. Perhaps most of all, young women are delaying marriage and children. Japan's long male dominated society is evolving. Women working more and not emulating the life of their parents. Search for articles about "parasite singles" and you'll learn more.
As for Thailand and disk drives - I can't say for sure but Thailand was an early site for Asian manufacturing of many high tech products by American companies. Hard drive manufacturing is a precise process and I suspect that the amount of existing know how and facilities keeps this industry in Thailand instead of moving to other countries.
I've read that Japan's population has leveled out or is even decreasing. Why would that be?
They would be the only Asian nation with a decreasing population.
Also, I read in a Time ad supplement that Thailand makes the most computer disk drives in the world. Why would it be Thailand and not, say, China or Japan?
Korea is very close behind japan. Cost of living and raising a child is extremely high combined with later marriage age(late 20s, early 30s) when compared to salary not to mention space(Asia and rent...don't even ask).
Not sure why Thailand...maybe government incentive("we the hard drive of asia!") or....because setting up a facility in China and Taiwan = lots of IP theft??
I've seen restaurant chain brands get their IP stolen....Hard drives are a piece of cake.
I've read that Japan's population has leveled out or is even decreasing.
Why would that be?
Why? Because they are producing fewer people.
Good for them.
Economics aside... Japan has been overpopulated (ppl/sq km) for a long, long time.
With fewer people to divide it among... their net yield from productivity will improve.
Not just japan but in fact eurpope ;the US and even China as far as aging popualtion. One thing tho Japan and China have huge investemnt in US debt they count on to support those aging popualtions as they have always saved at high levels. In time they will start frweing on it from UD investments of our borrowing.
I view Japan as foretelling the U.S. one day; parasite singles(especially after the recession) and a big aging population from the baby boomers. Fortunately for us, we still have a healthy amount of immigration coming into the country.
But, some people view population loss as a good thing, while others see it as a negative.
The fertility rates are falling over a good portion of this planet, with still some big baby making countries in parts of Africa (not all!) and the Middle East. But the question is whether or not these babies will ever make it to their teens or adulthood!
A 2.2 fertility rate is considered ideal for any country, and with Korea's and Japan's 1.2 fertility rates, and Europe's well-below 2.2 fertility rates, huge aging populations, what does it all spell out? Few choices but to bring in the immigrants!
If it weren't for the immigrant population in the U.S. right now, having babies, the U.S.'s fertility rate would be below 2.0, which is the rate that Mexico has succombed to.
Japan has been resistant to immigrants, all along, wanting to keep their country as homogeneous as possible, but something's gotta give, sooner or later, and the "darkening" up of the people is only inevitable!
The fertility rates are falling over a good portion of this planet, with still some big baby making countries in parts of Africa (not all!) and the Middle East. But the question is whether or not these babies will ever make it to their teens or adulthood!
A 2.2 fertility rate is considered ideal for any country, and with Korea's and Japan's 1.2 fertility rates, and Europe's well-below 2.2 fertility rates, huge aging populations, what does it all spell out? Few choices but to bring in the immigrants!
If it weren't for the immigrant population in the U.S. right now, having babies, the U.S.'s fertility rate would be below 2.0, which is the rate that Mexico has succombed to.
Japan has been resistant to immigrants, all along, wanting to keep their country as homogeneous as possible, but something's gotta give, sooner or later, and the "darkening" up of the people is only inevitable!
While it is true that aging populations create imbalances which are problematic, in the long run it's a fortunate development that populations are shrinking. The world is already a grossly over-populated place. Climate change will probably make it harder to feed all the billions we already have. The larger the world population, the more pressure is on the environment, and I say that not as some tree-hugger but because it's the environment which sustains us. Over-fishing of the world's oceans is already a problem. Desertification is a problem.
Immigration is not a sine qua non for solving the problems of countries with low fertility rates. If there is not enough labor, more people will work over-time. If there are not enough young working people to pay the pensions of the elderly (through taxation), then there will be belt-tightening all around, which is already starting to happen in the U.S.
I see falling birth rates as one of the few positives in the current state of humanity.
I agree that a decreasing populations has its benefits, from many different perspectives.
From an employment standpoint, employers and bully bosses are going to have to eventually abandon their thinking that there's a thick stack of applications sitting around for every job available, which they use to intimidate their employees. It won't go as far as the Black Plague that swept Europe centuries ago, where 1/3rd of the population perished, and for one generation there were no lower classes. Imagine how humbled the employers were back then!
More housing choices will also be a plus. Those crammed into one bedroom apartments can then move into larger quarters, for the same price, and with the extra space it may even tempt some to have another child.
And, finally, the environment can hopefully do some recovering and healing.
And, yes, it wouldn't surprise me, in some of these low fertility countries, to go on some demoliton sprees and turn some of this land back to nature!
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