社会政策与日本人口的发展

社会政策已成为很多国家调整国内人口发展的重要手段。面对总和生育率多年来不断下降的趋势,日本政府自1994年开始出台各种有利于人们生儿育女的社会人口政策。这些政策在目标、影响人群、法律效力及涉及政府部门方面有所不同。就目前来看,一些改善育儿环境、间接提高受孕几率的政策是有效的,但这些政策对最终提高出生水平的效果却不理想。在任何人口和文化中,人们生育观念的转变,无论是多生还是少生,都是一个长期的过程。

Social Policy and Population Changes in Japan

Social policies have become a very important measure to regulate population changes in many countries.Facing trend of gradual decline in total fertility rate,Japanese government started social and population policies favorable to reproduction since 1994.The policies work differently on demographic goal,targeting population and law efficacy;they involved different government sectors.Up to present,some of the policies,especially those improving the environment of raising children and increasing the chance to conceive,are effective.However,the policies in general did not work very well to raise fertility level.Change in fertility intention,no matter to have more or fewer children,is a long process among any population and culture.