MARRIAGE PROBLEM IN JAPAN AND WHY WE SHOULD CARE

 This week we talked about the absurdity of marriage in Las Vegas. Now today I will talk about some marriage statistics and its economic effects in Japan and why we are totally doomed(jk). 

For one, marriage is on a decline.  The number of adults ages 25 to 54 who are currently married fell from 67% in 1990 to 53% in 2019. But despite contrary belief, Divorce rate has actually been going down(only slightly though). In 1981, around 53% of marriages ended in divorce, but in 2021 that percentage is only 45%(wow improvement guys). But that's probably because less people are getting married. The overall data is pretty concerning considering there’s places like Las Vegas which take all the intimacy out of marriage. 

Now, you might be wondering. Why is a 17 year old boy writing about marriage statistics? Because there are economic ramifications for this. HOLD ON LET ME EXPLAIN! HEAR ME OUT GUYS!

One thing that the media warned us about 50 years ago was overpopulation. Many thought that everyone would be fighting wars for common resources like water and food. BUT OH BOY is that not the case. If anything, we are on a decline. Since marriage is on a decline, birth is on a decline. 

If children and birth are on a decline then that means the economy will suffer because there will be a generation with significantly less people. When that generation grows into the working class and the current working class are old people that don’t contribute to the economy, the economy tanks.

This has happened in Japan. They have been on a decline in marriage and birthrates and an uptick in divorce rates for decades. They are now seeing its effects. Because of the under population, many men and women in the workforce must work longer hours and get less money. This in turn makes many of them not have time to have or afford a marriage or children. By 2036, 1 in 3 people in Japan will be elderly. 

        This is happening all over the developed world. Europe, Asia, and the United States are all facing declining marriage and birthrates. I feel like as a country becomes more developed the less people have time to have relationships and children.

Now, there are many factors to this. Firstly, there's a statistic that says that as a man IQ increases they are more more likely to get married and as a women's IQ increases they are less likely. Honestly, I think women do not want to deal with men's crap anymore. And I applaud them. Men are kind of dumb. Secondly, Having children have just become more and more expensive. There's no federally mandated paid maternity leave or paternity leave after birth in America. It's almost like they do not want us to have children. And also, relationships are just hard much less a marriage.

SO what's lesson? I don't know. By no means am I telling you to go get married and have kids. That's your own decision. There's no call to action except for maybe telling the federal government to give everyone paid maternity and paternity leaves because children are hard to raise.

Now here's a meme I guess.