202010913 Data watch

To raise Japan's tepid birthrate, get men off the couch

Fathers doing less housework translates to sub-replacement fertility, study shows

TOKYO -- Imagine you are a policymaker looking to raise your country's low birthrate, what should you do? One important step is to encourage men to do more child care and housework, according to an analysis by Nikkei.

Japan's birthrate came to 1.34 children per woman in 2020, down from 1.36 in 2019 and hitting its lowest point since 2007, while the government's target is 1.8. The "replacement rate" needed to keep the population steady is 2.1.

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