About a quarter of Japan’s 127 million people are over the age of 65 and, according to a recent report by the country’s National Police Agency, the crime rate within that demographic appears to be rising, in contrast to others.
People older than 65 in Japan have surpassed teenagers in crime rates for the first time since the Agency began releasing age-related data in 1989.
According to the data, the country’s overall crime rate dropped by 8.8% from the previous year. In the first six months of 2015, criminal activity among juveniles within the 14-19 year age bracket has also dropped significantly compared to that of last year.
The number of youngsters subject to police action in that time was around 20,000, dropping by 15.3% from the previous year. On the other hand, police dealt with 23,000 people over the age of 65 in that same time period. More alarmingly, the rate of violent crimes among the elderly has seen a significant jump compared to last year, with an additional 20% committing murder and robbery.
Overall, violent crime committed by the elderly in Japan rose by more a little more than 10%.
Experts expect Japan’s elderly population to significantly grow in the next few decades and warn that unless the government deals with conditions of poverty and isolation, the country will likely continue to see a sharp rise in elderly crime rates.
