More Japanese Households with Seniors Caring for Seniors

In 63.5% of the households in Japan where a person 65 or older is receiving care, the caregiver is also a senior, at least 65 years old. This is the finding in the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. In addition, both the recipient and provider of care are 75 or older in 35.7% of the households, marking a record high.

All of Japan’s baby-boom generation (born 1947 to 1949) will be over 75 by 2025, and the proportion of elderly caregivers is expected to rise due to an overall shortage amid Japan’s declining birthrate and graying population.

In Japan, 27.5 million households include a senior 65 or older, constituting the majority of the 54.3 million households in total. A look at the changes in households since 1986, when the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions was first conducted, shows that the overall rise in the number of households is due in part to the increase in the number of households consisting of a single senior or a senior couple.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner image © Pixta.)