Japanese Women: High Cost Of Child Care Leads To Low Birth Rate

More than 70% of women willing to work cited the high cost of raising children as the top reason for the declining birth rate in Japan, a research institute's survey has found, Satoshi Fukutomi reported for Mainichi Japan.

Photo Insert: In multiple responses to the question about the causes of the declining birth rate, 74.2% of respondents answered that child-rearing is too expensive.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering expanding child-rearing allowances as the centerpiece policy of low birth rate countermeasures "of another dimension."

While this move is expected to help alleviate the sense of burden, respondents pointed out the difficulty of balancing work and child-rearing, indicating that money alone will not solve the issue.

The survey was conducted from March 15 to 22 by Shufu Job Soken, a research institute well-versed in trends among female homemakers, targeting registered users of temporary staffing services and job sites affiliated with the institute.

According to a representative of the organization, responses were received from 554 people of all ages, mainly in their 40s and 50s, who were motivated to work.

In multiple responses to the question about the causes of the declining birth rate, 74.2% of respondents answered that child-rearing is too expensive, followed by 63.2% who said: "The burden of child-rearing is disproportionately placed on women."

In addition, 60.3% said "There are few jobs that are compatible with child-rearing," while 57.8% said "Few people are getting married," highlighting the breadth of the challenge.

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