Tax & Spend
Expert Panel Suggests Japan’s Government Make Childbirth Free
Births in Japan reached a record low in 2024.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Japanese government should cover out-of-pocket childbirth fees, an expert panel said, as the aging nation seeks to reverse its declining population and shrinking pool of tax-paying workers.
The government should “design a specific system by around fiscal 2026 to make standard childbirth expenses free of charge,” according to a proposal adopted on Wednesday by an expert panel tasked with investigating how to ease the financial burden of giving birth.