The Statistical Research and Training Institute has released data that shows Japan has roughly 3 million people between the ages of 35 and 44 who continue to live with their parents, and 11.5% of those dubbed “parasite singles,” are unemployed. The institute, which operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, has calculated this based on surveys about the labor force conducted in 2010. The parasite singles are believed to be those who were in their 20′s and 30′s in the ’90s, lived with their parents, and never got married.
The 2.95 million unmarried people living with their parents make up 16% of the population in the 35 to 44 age bracket. This is an increase from 1.12 million in 1990 (5.7% of the same age bracket) and 1.59 million in 2000 (10% of the age bracket). Masahiro Yamada, a Chuo University professor who contributed to the analysis (and also created the term “parasite singles”), says that the average annual income of the parasite singles group has decreased from 2.04 million yen (approx. $25,450) in 1994, to 1.38 million yen ($17,200) in 2004.
The significance of this is in the ’90s the image of those continuing to live with their parents beyond their late 20′s was that they just wanted to enjoy a comfortable and carefree lifestyle. But now, that image has changed, and it seems those in parasite singles group were living with their parents longer because it because increasingly difficult financially to live on their own. Yamada says that there are currently 10.64 million people between the ages of 20 and 34 who are unmarried and living with their parents. This could have a significant effect on the decrease of Japan’s birthrate and number of people receiving welfare in the future.