TOKYO, Aug 30 (NNN-NHK) – A total of 37,227 people living alone, died at home in Japan, in the first half of this year, official data showed.
Among the cases, 28,330 were elderly solo dwellers, aged 65 and above, accounting for about 76 percent of the total, according to preliminary data released by the National Police Agency of Japan.
In recent years, the number of people dying alone at home, widely known as “lonely deaths,” has increased, due to the rising number of single-person households and an aging population.
By age, the highest number of lonely deaths was among those aged 85 and above, totalling 7,498, while the lowest was among individuals under 30, with 473 cases.
The data released on Wednesday highlighted the trend that the older the age group, the higher the incidence of lonely deaths.
By gender, about 25,600 were male, and 11,600 were female, and the phenomenon was particularly severe in metropolitan areas, including Tokyo, and prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama, as well as Osaka, with Tokyo recording the highest number at 4,786.
The increase in Japan’s single-person households, changing social dynamics, livelihood challenges, and a growing suicide problem, have exacerbated the issue of lonely deaths, according to Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun.
To address the problem, Japan enacted the Act on Promotion of Policy for Loneliness and Isolation in Apr, amid efforts to mitigate the worsening loneliness crisis.– NNN-NHK
