Japan's demographic problem

An article in the Washington Post today suggests Japan is committing slow-motion demographic suicide because the number of children has been shrinking for years.

The number of children has declined for 27 consecutive years, a government report said over the weekend. Japan now has fewer children who are 14 or younger than at any time since 1908.

In fact, Japan is now in a phase where its population actually is decreasing, and at the present rate its population could be only one-third its present size within the lifetime of people who are children now.

I note this because I looked at some recent Census Bureau estimates for West Virginia's population. I wanted to know which states had the lowest percentage of people age 17 and younger. I figured West Virginia had to rank high on that list. As it turns out, West Virginia ranks third, behind Vermont and Maine. The numbers:

Vermont: 21.1
Maine: 21.2
West Virginia: 21.4

US AVERAGE: 24.5

Kentucky: 23.7
Ohio: 24.0
Utah: 30.9.

Japan used age 14. I used age 17 because it is easier to figure from the Census Bureau numbers.

I'm not saying West Virginia's demographic problem is anywhere near that of Japan, but it's something that has to be addressed somehow. In our case, we need to make drastic changes to our economy so young families can prosper here. But that would take too much change.