Japan's Population time bomb

The BBC are examining the issues facing Japan regarding its ageing population.This is a great topic for S4 and S5. GET READING!

Look at the "top heavy" pyramid here showing the huge imbalance of elderly people. Surely this even looks as though it is unstable and will topple.

Japan is about to experience a major issue regarding its population..
The birth rate has been falling steeply for 50 years. In the early 1970s it passed the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman and in 2005 hit a record low of 1.26. That same year, the population began to shrink. Forecasters say that, based on current trends, it will fall more than 20% by 2050. So what are the implications for Japan?
Firstly, a low number of babies now points to a shortage of workers in the future. Fewer workers also means fewer taxpayers and so less money for the government.

Young people are leaving for the cities and government funding is limited. Schools are closing, buses are running less often. In one rural town, an official said that if a new building went up, it was most likely an old people's home. Read the rest of this piece here and another here.