A Cabinet Office survey released 24th September shows that over 30% of 6,924 Japanese polled think that the government should do more to raise the birthrate. A similar survey in 2001 showed only 11.6% of people polled were concerned with this issue.

Nearly 40% of women in their 30s, and over 36% of women in their 20s who were polled indicated this matter in the survey on National Lifestyle.

The survey also revealed that nearly 70% of urban mothers interviewed chose as the best answer "financial support" for child rearing as a way to stop the birthrate declining, compared to "support to keep working after giving birth" in the survey six years ago. The survey shows that the income gap between rich and poor in the same generation has been widening since 1997.

On 4th October, the Chief Cabinet Secretary announced that the government would set up a panel by the end of the month to make plans to counter the rapidly falling birthrate, with measures to be announced hopefully by summer 2006.

Efforts in this area by previous administrations have had little success, and in June it was announced that the total fertility rate had fallen to another record low of 1.288.