Low rates of marriage and childbearing plus more people living alone means trouble for the global economy.

“Celibacy syndrome” in Japan

by Nicole M. King 

The News Story - Japan’s sexual apathy is endangering the global economy

Japan has a new term for an “illness” that has Japanese officials increasingly worried—“celibacy syndrome.” In a nation plagued by sexual permissiveness, skyrocketing cost of living, and cutthroat workplace competition, more and more Japanese are losing interest in marriage, family, and even sex altogether.

In a blog entry for the Washington Post, Max Fisher reports that this lack of interest spells bad news for more than just Japan. Writes Fisher, “Japan is the world's third-largest economy, a crucial link in global trade and a significant factor in everyone else's economic well-being.” If Japan, which “owns almost as much U.S. debt as China,” goes bust, the U.S. will sorely feel the repercussions.

Amongst the reasons that Japanese avoid marriage and sex are such justifications as “cannot find a suitable partner” and “do not want to lose freedom or comfort.” Many Japanese men and women report being perfectly content with their “freedom,” but research suggests that such freedom is deceptive and leads, in the end, to a world of unhappiness.

The New Research - Living alone, popping pills

For some time, demographers in the United States and Western Europe have noted a remarkable increase in the number of single-person households, an increase only explicable in the context of high divorce rates, low fertility, and falling marriage rates. For a clearer understanding of the psychological implications of this trend toward solo living, Americans can consult a study recently completed by researchers from the United Kingdom and Finland, two European countries that have likewise seen a sharp rise in single-person households in recent decades. Conducted by researchers from University College London, from the University of Helsinki, and from Finnish public-health organizations, this new study raises serious questions about the mental well-being of men and women living alone.

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