The Institute of Population Problems carried out the second public opinion survey on population issues in Japan on 15 June 1995. Succeeding the first survey conducted in 1990, the second survey aimed at grasping current public opinions on population issues, and it also intended to derive most recent reproduction indices in Japan, for the purpose of contributing to the population projections and the effective planning and management of the administration.
It was a sampling survey covering all the individuals aged between 20 and 69 in 300 stratified sample districts chosen at random from the districts for "the 1995 Comprehensive Survey of Living Condition of the People on Health and Welfare, (Kokumin-seikatsu Kiso-chosa)" conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. We distributed 25,751 questionnaires and yielded 22,497 valid responses (87.4%). Major findings are as follows :
(1) Intention of marriage
We concluded in the report of the last survey that the number of single young people who rejected marriage was negligible scarce. However, those who chose "to remain single all through life" increase in number apparently and are not negligible any more in this survey.
(2) Tendency toward later marriage
Only 6.0% of the (total) respondents favor the recent tendency toward later marriage, while 17.6% perceive it negatively. Nevertheless, among young women aged between 20 and 34, the respondent's answers in favor of late marriage exceed in number those against it. "Those who do not intend to marry are increasing in number" is the most popular choice among the single males and females as a reason for the tendency toward later marriage. The second popular choice is "the empowerment of women" among females, but "insufficient financial situation" among males.
(3) Fertility decline
Only 5.1% of the respondents are for the recent fertility decline while 42.3% oppose it. The most popular reason against the fertility decline is "accelerating population aging" . Most of the respondents (81.8%) regard it as necessary to take some measures against the fertility decline, and "reducing child-care expenses" is the most favorite choice (49.4%).
(4) Population size for Japan
About half (45.8%) of the respondents feel the size of Japanese population excessive, and 38.3% of them find it appropriate. Compared with the last survey, those who perceive it appropriate increased in percentage, while those who find it excessive decreased.
(5) Population mono-polarization in Tokyo
58.4% of the respondents think that the Government should take measures to soften the population mono-polarization in Tokyo. Only 6.9% select "transference of the capital" as an effective measure against it. The most favorite choice is "the transference of administrative and/or educational function from Tokyo" (44.3%) .
(6) World population
71.0% of the respondents find it necessary for the developing countries to try to control their own population, and 83.6% feel that Japan should cooperate with those countries in order to control their population.