Research Shows More Japanese Women Than Men Don’t Want To Have Children

Research has shown that for the first time, more Japanese women than men don’t want to have children.

The study conducted by a Japanese Pharmaceutical company, Rohto, showed that 64.7 percent of 400 unmarried women and men aged between 18 and 29 did not want to have children; while 64.1 percent of 800 married women and men aged 25 to 44, who do want to get married, cited work as a barrier to having children.

Since 2018, when Rohto began this annual study, it is the first time more women than men said they do not want children. Reasons include anxiety about balancing work and parenting alone, worries that children could disrupt careers, and concerns about financial burdens.

Of the 400 unmarried men and women, 37.4 percent said they wanted to have children, 62.6 percent said they didn’t. Regarding the reason for harboring anxieties about having and raising children, 63.2 percent of men and 71.7 percent of women cited ‘financial burden’, while 51.2 percent of men and 61.4 percent of women referred to “disruptions to career advancement, with women showing higher proportions for both factors.

The survey targeting 800 married men and women who want to have children, shows that 52.0 percent of men and 64.1 percent of women cited ‘disruptions to career advancement” as the reason for feeling anxious about childbirth and child rearing.

Some noted that they are considering changing jobs or transferring positions to raise children. They accounted 53,3 percent of men to 66.8 percent of women.

The above data suggests an urgent need for society to explore ways for people to pursue both parenting and their careers, rather than having to choose between the two.