Brave new world in which fewer people lead richer, lonelier lives

Policies must evolve if technology and digitalization are to sustain prosperity

Single-person households are on the increase worldwide. In China, the number of solitary adults was expected to approach 100 million in 2021, up 30% from 2018. © Kyodo

MOTOKAZU MATSUI, YUJI NITTA and SETSUO OTSUKA, Nikkei staff writers

February 5, 2022 18:02 JST

TOKYO -- For the first time in approximately 300,000 years of existence, the human race is about to enter a period of population decline, according to Hiroshi Kito, a historical demographer and former president of the University of Shizuoka.