Japan’s Elderly Commit More Crimes Than Their Teens

Elderly Japanese man

With 25% of Japan’s population over the age of 65, police have reported that the elderly population have committed more crimes than teenagers in the past six months.

This is the first time the elderly population in Japan have outranked the younger generations in terms of crime since 1985.

Since the beginning of the year, police have taken 23,000 people over 65 into custody versus only 20,000 younger people between the ages of 14 and 19.

Over a quarter of Japan’s 127 million population are now within retirement age and the government warns that this figure will rise in the coming decades.

Additionally, violent crimes amongst the elderly have risen by 10% since the last figures. Experts suggest that poverty, isolation, and a lack of support from the government for elderly people are partly to blame.