Question

compare and contrast the fertility and mortality rates of Japan and the United States

Answer 1

According to the recent world bank data the fertility rates of US and Japan are 1.8 and 1.4 respectively in 2016-2017. The current birthrates of both the countries are historically low. Japan has the lowest birthrate in the world. As evident from the data in http://www.nationmaster.com the total fertility rate of Japan is 1.85% ranked 118^th and as compared to the US of 1.99% ranked 33^rd.

The Us fertility rates are lowest since 1987.T he main reason for low fertility rate in Us are:

• Better access to birth control
• Economic recession
• plummeted teen birth rates
• Lifestyle choices
• shifting attitudes about motherhood
• changing immigration patterns.

According to CDC reports the rate of births to women ages 15 to 44 or the general fertility rate, sank to a record low of about 60 per 1,000. The only group with higher birth rates in 2017 were women in 40s, and the rate increased up 2 per cent from the year. The 40s fertility rate has been rising since the early 1980s. More cesarean section rate rose by a tiny amount and are more common in first-time births involving older moms. Fertility rates for women in their 20s continued to fall and hit record lows as 4 per cent.

Japan

The population of Japan is shrinking day by day. there were fewer than 1 million births in 2017, and the country’s population fell by more than 300,000 people.

The reasons :

Women gave importance to careers over married life.

The young people are accused of not having enough sex. A recent survey conducted among Japanese people aged 18 to 34 reveals that nearly 70 per cent of unmarried men and 60 per cent of unmarried women aren’t in a relationship.

There are fewer good opportunities for young men in the country’s economy and they are considered the breadwinners.

The low fertility rates may seem surprising in Japan where the unemployment rate is below 3 per cent. They include the part-time workers and the many of them lost their jobs as globalization put more pressure on companies to cut costs, during the Great Recession.

In Japan only around 2% of babies are born outside marriage when weddings plummet, so do the births.

References:

1. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=US

2. http://www.nationmaster.com