일본 정부는 국내인구중 노년층 비율이 세계 최고 수준이라고 밝혔습니다. 일본 정부가 30일 발표한 한 보고서에서는 국내 65세 이상의 인구 수가 지난해 전체 인구의 21%에 달해 이탈리아 노년층 비율인 20%를 넘어선 것으로 나타났습니다.
이 보고서에서는 반면에 15세 이하의 인구 비율은13%를 기록해 세계 최저 수준인 것으로 나타났습니다.
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Japan's government says the country's ratio of older people is now the world's highest.
A government report released today (Friday) shows the number of people aged 65 or older reached 21 percent of Japan's total population last year, surpassing Italy's 20-percent figure.
The report also shows the ratio of people under 15 hit the world's lowest level, at 13-point-six percent. Bulgaria was previously the lowest (at 13-point eight percent).
Both figures highlight serious concerns about the long-term health of Japan's economy. In addition, Japan is grappling with its first population decline since World War Two. The country's birth rate also dropped to a record low in 2005.
Lawmakers have been trying to address ways to reverse the trends, as concerns grow that a shrinking pool of young workers will have trouble supporting the nation's growing number of elderly pensioners.