TOKYO -- Japan's population will fall below 100 million in 2056, and the number of births will fall below 500,000 in 2059 if births per woman remain roughly unchanged, according to projections released Wednesday by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.
Unless productivity rises, Japan may become weaker as a nation if the population shrinks. Policies to maintain economic growth in the face of a declining population will need to be implemented quickly to avoid that fate.
