Japan Elderly Population

The number of senior citizens living alone in Japan will likely jump 47% by 2050, a government-affiliated research institute said on Friday, underscoring the heavy burden the country's demographic change will exert on its social security system.

Although Japan has one of the world's fastest ageing populations, the country has no laws regarding "living wills", let alone assisted suicide, which is legal in a few U.S. states such as California and some nations including Canada and Belgium.

The number of Japanese aged 65 and above has risen to a new record of about 33.8 million people or 26.7 per cent of the population, the media reported.

India stands a dismal 73rd in the list of 91 countries, according to a UN-backed study on the wellbeing of the elderly in a rapidly ageing world.

The number of senior citizens living alone in Japan will likely jump 47% by 2050, a government-affiliated research institute said on Friday, underscoring the heavy burden the country's demographic change will exert on its social security system.

Although Japan has one of the world's fastest ageing populations, the country has no laws regarding "living wills", let alone assisted suicide, which is legal in a few U.S. states such as California and some nations including Canada and Belgium.

The number of Japanese aged 65 and above has risen to a new record of about 33.8 million people or 26.7 per cent of the population, the media reported.

India stands a dismal 73rd in the list of 91 countries, according to a UN-backed study on the wellbeing of the elderly in a rapidly ageing world.