It’s Quiz time
Japan’s Gambit for Family
Japan’s fertility rate has declined steadily over the past several decades, reaching one of the lowest levels among developed countries. This demographic trend poses significant social and economic challenges, which Japan is trying very hard to mitigate.
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Results
#1. What is the definition of “replacement level” as it relates to fertility?
Replacement level fertility is the number of children an average woman needs to have in order for a population to maintain its numbers- neither increasing nor decreasing the population. Each woman would need to have enough children to replace herself and her partner respectively for the population to remain the same. The general replacement level number for most countries is 2.1 children per woman.
#2. What was the fertility rate of Japan in 2023?
Japan’s fertility rate was at 1.2 in 2023, which is well below the 2.1 replacement level needed for a country to maintain a stable population. Some parts of Japan have an even lower fertility rate.
#3. What was the fertility rate of the city of Tokyo in 2023?
Tokyo, Japan has an even lower fertility rate than the rest of the country. Their fertility rate is .99 compared to the overall 1.2 rate of the whole country.
#4. Select all that apply: What efforts has the Japanese government made in an attempt to increase the fertility rate of Japan?
Select all that apply:
Japan has implemented some pretty intensive incentives to encourage their citizens to have more children. Some, like requiring companies to provide generous parental leave, has been implemented since the 1990s. Even with these incentives, the government has still reported their fertility rates falling.
#5. What step is the city of Tokyo taking to mitigate the falling fertility rate?
The Tokyo Metropolitan government (which is a very large employer in the country) implemented a four-day work week as well as allowing for parents to leave 2 hours early to take care of their children. These changes, which were implemented in April of 2025, are hoped to give parents more time to plan for and rear their children.