40% of Japan's Municipalities Could Vanish by 2050
Out of Japan's 1,729 local municipalities, 744 — over 40% — could disappear by 2050 because of population decline, according to a recent study.
The study was released at the end of April by the Population Strategy Council, a private organization of academic researchers and business leaders.
According to the study, there are 744 municipalities where the population of young women aged between 20 and 39 is likely to decrease by 50% between 2020 and 2050.
These are the municipalities seen as most at risk of disappearing, because as the population of young women decreases, the number of births in these municipalities will also continue to decline.
However, the situation is very different in each of Japan's regions, and in northern Japan it is particularly severe.
On the northern island of Hokkaido, 117 municipalities are likely to disappear, and most municipalities have a problem with population outflow — people leaving for larger metropolitan centers.
Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan's main island of Honshu, has a problem with population outflow and low birthrates, and here 165 municipalities are likely to disappear — the largest number and percentage in the country.
Even the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, has 91 municipalities that are likely to disappear. Kanto also has 21 municipalities that have low birthrates, but which are maintaining their population through population inflow, as many people move there from other regions.
The study also offered some advice to local municipalities, noting that many have focused more on reducing the number of people leaving than on increasing the local birthrate. In some areas, municipalities are even competing with neighboring towns and cities to attract young people.
The study warns that this won't help the overall situation in Japan, and suggests that each municipality should try using a mix of solutions according to its own situation.
