Baby Boomtown

1. Nagi is a town in western Japan that has a fertility rate more than twice the national average and nearly half of its households have three or more children.
2. The town has achieved this through a combination of generous financial incentives and community involvement in bringing up its youngest residents.
3. Nagi offers a range of financial benefits for young families, including a one-off payment of ¥100,000 on the birth of each child. Children also receive free healthcare up to the age of 18 and families don’t pay for school textbooks until they complete compulsory education at 15.
4. The town has also created a daycare facility where parents can leave their children in the care of other mothers, staff and older volunteers while they grab some personal time to run errands, go shopping or attend a doctor’s appointment.
5. Nagi’s approach to addressing its declining birthrate is holistic and involves every member of the community.

You can read more about Nagi's approach to addressing its declining birthrate in this article.

Fertility rate: Average number of children born to a woman. Incentives: Something that motivates or encourages action. Community: Group of people living in the same place. Daycare: Supervised care for children during the day. Holistic: Considering all factors or elements. Healthcare: Maintenance and improvement of health. Compulsory education: Required period of education for children. Textbooks: Books used for study in schools. Errands: Short trips to accomplish a task. Birthrate: Number of births per population unit. Declining: Becoming smaller or fewer in number. Residents: People who live in a place. Subsidised: Financially supported by an organization or government. Bus fares: Money paid for a bus ride. Rent: Payment for the use of property.