Japan’s ageing population poses urgent risk to society, says PM

Fumio Kishida says country may be unable to function if birthrate does not rise

Japan's low birthrate and ageing population pose an urgent risk to society, the country's prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has said, as he pledged to address the issue by establishing a new government agency.

Birthrates are declining in many developed countries, but in Japan the issue is particularly acute because it has the world's second highest proportion of people aged 65 and over, after the tiny state of Monaco, according to World Bank data.