75% of Japanese Gen-Z Have ‘No Hope for Japan’s Future’ Due to Elderly

Japanese Gen-Z youth recently partook in a survey in which almost 75% felt that they have ‘no hope for Japan’s future,’ mainly due to the declining birthrate and aging population.

70% of Generation Z answered, “Do not feel hopeful for the future of Japanese society.” When asked for reasons, responses included, “I don’t have any hope for politics” and “The birthrate is declining, and the population is aging.”

The survey was conducted online in September 2023, targeting 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 29, under the title “Young People’s Attitude Survey.”

According to the survey, 74.6% of 18 to 24-year-olds (Gen-Z) answered, “I don’t feel any hope for the future of Japanese society” (total of ‘not feeling’ and ‘not much’),  while only 25.5% answered “I feel it” (including both “I feel it” and “somewhat feel it”).

When asked Gen-Z who answered that they felt no hope for the future, 56.7% answered, “I don’t have hope for politics,” and 26.8% responded, “The declining birthrate and aging population,” as their reasons. Furthermore, 24.9% said, “Our society is increasingly divided due to inequality,” while 19.2% felt that “Many people are selfish,” as some of the other top answers.

When Gen-Z was asked, “Do you feel that Japanese society is unfair?” 74% answered, “I feel it is unfair” (33.1% for “unfair” and 40.9% for “somewhat unfair”). According to those who answered “unfair,” 64.1% were due to “Economic disparity,” 49.4% for “Disparity based on social status,” and 37.5% for “Gender gap.”

Additionally, 61.7% of Gen-Z answered that they were “dissatisfied” with the older generation, further pushing the thought of having “no hope for Japan’s future” due to the elderly.