I really enjoyed the articles about the demographics of East Asia: “BOK chief calls for increased birth rate amid population aging” and “I don’t.” The challenge of declining birth rate is not an issue only for South Korea and Japan; countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China face a similar demographic crisis. This problem inevitably affects the political, economic, and social aspects of the countries. For example, the Japanese prime minister has pushed initiatives to encourage a higher birth rate. The Japanese prime minister understands that smaller population will make it difficult for an aging Japanese society.
Developed countries tend to have lower birth rates than undeveloped or developing countries. However, I’m curious about the impact the millennial generation has affected demographics not only in the United States but around the world. Just as in the U.S., the younger population in East Asian societies face similar challenges of lack of social mobility because of limited housing and difficult working conditions.
