Visualizing the Japanese Fertility Rate
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Japanese society has been experiencing a decline in the number of births.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
There may have been some improvements in the fertility rates at certain periods, but it has not been enough to stop the decline in the number of births.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
The drop in 1966 is due to a superstition:
The curse of the Fire-Horse: How superstition impacted fertility rates in Japan
Many Japanese families chose not to have children in 1966 due to their superstition of “Hinoe-Uma (Fire-Horse)”. Fire-Horse is the 43rd combination of the sexagenary cycle, which happens every 60 years. The superstition is that women born in this year of the “Fire-Horse” have a bad personality and will kill their future husband.
However, Japan is not unique in having low fertility rates.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) is licensed under CC BY-4.0
There are some other countries that have a lower rate than Japan.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) is licensed under CC BY-4.0
What is different about Japan, is that the decline started much earlier than other countries that currently have a low fertility rate.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) is licensed under CC BY-4.0
The trends have been closer when compared to European nations with a low fertility rate, but the Japanese fertility rates were already lower in the 1960s.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) is licensed under CC BY-4.0
But now, even some of the largest countries in the world are seeing their fertility rates drop.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) is licensed under CC BY-4.0
And as a result of this global trend, many countries are seeing a low percentage of children:
Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) is licensed under CC BY-4.0