Is Japan on the decline? Pessimism as 7 in 10 polled say country’s stature waning
According to an Ipsos poll, the percentage of Japanese who think their country is on a downward trend has increased by 30 points since 2016
A growing majority of Japanese believe their country is on a downward trajectory – a dramatic rise from less than a decade ago – as concerns mount over economic stagnation, political alienation and the social consequences of immigration, a global survey has found.
Only two countries – France and Turkey – reported a higher share of respondents believing their nation is in decline in the most recent poll, released last month. Japan was also well above the 57 per cent average of all countries.
Ipsos described the findings as part of a global trend, warning: “The diagnosis is stark: across the globe, a profound pessimism is setting in.”
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While the report noted that this sense of “societal fracture” is especially acute in Western democracies such as the US, Britain and France, it emphasised that the sentiment has clearly spread to other regions – including Japan.