Japan Is Paying Families to Leave Tokyo

Japan Is Paying Families to Leave Tokyo

Japan Is, Paying Families , to Leave Tokyo.

CNN reports that the government of Japan has offered to pay families to move out of Tokyo in an effort to boost plummeting birth rates.

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In April, families living in Tokyo will be eligible to receive $7,700 per child if they choose to move to less-populated towns across the country.

Tokyo is Japan's most populous city, boasting a population of approximately 37 million people.

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According to government statistics released in 2021, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's population had been growing by up to 80,000 people each year.

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Combined with the country's rapidly aging population, the migration pattern has left many rural towns with fewer and fewer residents.

Outside of Tokyo, over half of the municipalities in Japan are expected to be designated as underpopulated areas in 2022.

CNN reports that Japan has long been suffering from low birth rates and has seen the number of annual deaths outpace the number of births in recent years.

Tokyo also has the lowest fertility rate of all prefectures in Japan.

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CNN reports that this is not the Japanese government's first attempt to use financial incentives to encourage people to relocate.

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Other efforts to combat population decline in Japan have included bolstering child care services, improving housing facilities and even paying people to have children.