🇯🇵 Japan’s demographic crisis deepens: The birth rate has been plummeting for decades, with accelerated decline in recent years.Number of live births (approx.):• 2018: ~919,000• 2019: ~865,000• 2020: ~841,000• 2021: ~811,000• 2022: ~771,000• 2023: ~727,000• 2024: ~686,000• 2025 (on track): Even lower, with first 6 months down ~3.1% vs 2024 (339,000 births Jan-Jun)Total Fertility Rate (children per woman): Fell from ~1.42 in 2018 to a record low of 1.15 in 2024 — far below the 2.1 replacement level.This is t ...

🎙️ South Korean companies are offering workers up to $72,000 to have babies in an effort to boost the nation’s declining population.Are cash incentives enough to solve the problem?We explore on on today’s Big Take Asia podcast. ⤵️ https://t.co/HG4DWTut5g ...

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry but discusses the potential economic impact of a nationwide childbirth subsidy program in China. Core Insights - The Chinese government is expected to launch a nationwide childbirth subsidy program, providing RMB 3,600 per year for each child until they turn three years old, which may boost GDP growth by 25 basis points in the second half of 2025 [1][9] - The estimated annual cost of the subsidy program is around RMB 100 billion in steady state, with a projected increase to RMB 250 billion in the second half of 2025 due to lump-sum subsidies for children born before January 2025 [1][9] - The program reflects a shift in China's policy approach to address cyclical and structural growth challenges, aiming to increase birth rates and promote consumption [3][10] Summary by Sections Section 1: Program Details - The subsidy will be available for children born on or after January 1, 2025, and will also apply retroactively to infants born before this date based on their eligible months [2] - The central government will fund the majority of the program, with varying contributions from local governments across different regions [2] Section 2: Economic Impact - The implementation of the subsidy program is expected to result in an annualized GDP growth boost of 25 basis points in 2025H2, while slightly lowering GDP growth in 2026 due to the diminishing impact of lump-sum subsidies [1][9] - The program's scale is relatively modest compared to international standards, which may limit its effectiveness in significantly increasing birth rates [10] Section 3: Historical Context and Local Initiatives - There have been various local initiatives in cities across China to implement childbirth subsidies, with some cities experiencing a slowdown or reversal in declining birth rates following the introduction of such programs [8][10] - The report highlights that cities with lower birth rates than the national average are more likely to adopt local subsidy measures [8]