Following a white paper released 2nd June showing Japan and Italy with the highest number of those aged 65 and over at 20% of their populations in 2005, a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' report on 1st July shows that proportion updated to 21% in Japan in 2005, making it the world's 'grayest' population. Furthermore, the percentage of those under 15 dropped to the world's lowest at 13.6% of the population for the same period.

In 1960, seniors comprised 5.7% of the population in Japan, and in 1980 comprised only 9.1%, making it the lowest of the seven major industrialized countries at that time.

On 20th June, the government announced a series of new measures to cope with the declining fertility society, including more financial and medical support, more access to childcare services, and greater emphasis on the business sector to support child rearing.