Births at historic low in Japanso much so that the Tokyo government has decided to invest in a dating app with the hope of increasing the fertility rate. A project in its early stages and which will become operational by the end of the year, based on artificial intelligence with a clear warning appearing on the site: “Please use this as a ‘first step’ to marriage”. Users are asked to take a “values test”, but there is also an option to enter desired traits of the future partner. ”Artificial intelligence will present you with a compatible person,” explain the app’s managers. But ”what cannot be measured by appearance or conditions alone can lead to unexpected encounters,” he warns. To download the app you must be single, over 18 years old and have a “desire to get married” in your heart, live or work in Tokyo, the website says.
The app has also attracted the attention of Elon Musk, who on ‘X’ wrote: ”I am happy that the government of Japan recognizes the importance of this issue. If radical action is not taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!” The app developed by the Tokyo government also explains the other measures to support couples, from childcare and housing, from professional advice to indications for men’s participation in housework.
Experts contacted by CNN believe that the scenario hypothesized by Musk is unlikely and instead opt for the fact that the fertility rate will stabilize and the country will adapt. The fact is that, based on the latest data released today by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, last year only 727,277 births were registered in a nation with 123.9 million inhabitants. Which means that the fertility rate, or the total number of children a woman has in her lifetime, has fallen from 1.26 to 1.20.
CNN explains that for a population to remain stable, a fertility rate of 2.1 is necessary. A higher figure will lead this population to expand, as has happened in India and many African nations. In Japan, experts explain, the fertility rate has been well below the value of 2.1 for half a century. It notably fell below that level after the 1973 global oil crisis pushed economies into recession and has never recovered since. The downward trend has accelerated in recent years, with the number of deaths exceeding that of births each year and causing a reduction in the total population. The consequences are seen in the workforce, the economy, the welfare system and the social fabric.
In 2023, Japan recorded 1.57 million deaths, more than double the number of births, according to the Health Ministry. Furthermore, again last year, in Japan the number of marriages fell by 30 thousand, while the number of divorces increased.
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