Japan's desire for a second child drops to historic low, survey shows
A Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance survey finds only 28.2% of parents with one child in Japan want another, the lowest level recorded.
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. released its ninth yearly survey of parents with one child, showing that just 28.2% now consider having a second child, the lowest figure ever recorded. The online questionnaire, fielded in September, reached 1,100 men and women whose children are six years old or younger. The proportion has fallen dramatically from a peak of 56.9% in 2020, shortly after the government made kindergarten and daycare fees free for children three and older.
Since 2021, the willingness to expand families has been on a steady decline. About 54.5% of those reluctant to have another child cite concerns over future income, yet 66.4% say a shift in their life situation could change their mind. More than half (60.4%) believe higher household earnings would encourage a second child, and nearly a quarter (22.9%) say reduced inflation would help. Kazutaka Maeda, senior economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute Inc., notes that everyday childcare expenses such as diapers and baby food have risen, straining family budgets despite modest real-wage gains.
