This country's diaper makers shifting from toddlers to adults amid plummeting birth rate

As a result of Japan's rapidly ageing society, Oji Holdings has declared its cessation of baby diaper production in the country, redirecting its attention to the adult market, BBC reported. 

This shifting strategy is also in line with the nationwide trend observed among Japanese firms following the very low birth rates in Japan.

For more than a decade, sales of adult diapers have been higher than for infants, indicating the changed Japanese old-age model. Fewer births, according to the 5.1% drop in 2023 from 758,631 to the lowest level since the 19th century, which is diametrically divergent from the two million births that occurred in the 1970s.

The subsidiary of Oji Holdings, Oji Nepia, now annually produces 400 million infant nappies, however, this number is decreasing from its peak of 700 million in 2001n. Adult diaper market growth even outweighs that of baby diaper market in 2011 by Unicharm. Unique market patterns show up.

The country of Japan, with 30% of them aged 65 years old and over, and over 10% of them aged 80 years old and up, shows a situation that only indicates that consumer needs are shifting. 

Additionally, the company intends to continue manufacturing baby diapers in Malaysia and Indonesia to fulfil the predicted demand in these areas.

From the point of view of economics, Japan has not only demographic challenges but also Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is recognising the social implications of the crisis. 

The convergence of fertilities among Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, in addition to China's population decline for the second consecutive year, point towards demographic change and the complexity of solving them.