Should giving birth be free of charge in Japan?

When you are pregnant, you may be as anxious as you are excited. The biggest anxiety may be childbirth itself or parenting, but some may also be concerned with economic burdens.

In Japan, the birth rate has been decreasing, and younger generations are becoming passive about having kids. To prevent population decline, the government has announced that they are considering an increase in the “Childbirth Lump-Sum.” However, in response to this, some insist that giving birth should be free of charge.

Only 7% of those giving birth cover their costs with the Childbirth Lump-Sum

In Japan, in cases that don’t include medical practices such as cesarean sections, one needs to bear the full expenses of giving birth because public insurance doesn’t apply. Alternatively, the government introduced “the Childbirth Lump-Sum” to reduce the financial burden required for birth. Under this system, as a general rule, recipients of health insurance or national health insurance, or their dependents, are entitled to receive 420,000 yen when they give birth.

In recent years, childbirth costs have been increasing in Japan. In 2019, it was 520,000 yen on average. However, the cause of the increase in the amount is not clear.

According to a survey , only 7% of the respondents were able to give birth at a cost of less than 420,000 yen. It cost more than 710,000 yen for 25.7% of the respondents. This means copayment was over 300,000 yen which is more than the median monthly income in Japan.

In addition, there is the Childbirth Allowance (about 2/3 of the recipient’s income for about 98 days) and the Childcare Leave Benefits, though these are available only for a limited number of people. Other than that, each municipality also offers subsidies for medical checkups and congratulatory money.

The government covers expenses of childbirth in some countries

In several countries, the government covers the expenses of giving birth. For example, in Australia, if you have national health insurance and give birth in a public hospital, there is no cost. In Finland, births in public hospitals are free. Nevertheless, one should keep in mind that maternity checkups are less frequent, people are unable to choose doctors, and there are higher taxes in these countries than in Japan.

Conversely, in the United States, the cost of childbirth is high. It is not only those living in Japan who face financial concerns due to the high expense of giving birth.

Making the application process for maternity-related subsidies easier

Japan has several subsidies to support giving birth, but its system may be burdensome because each applicant has to apply for the program by themselves with much paperwork. The government needs to research how many people are aware of and have applied for these subsidy programs. Changing the system and the way of informing people about these subsidies could reduce the financial burden for more people.

On the other hand, the government should not forget that the financial burden on the self-employed and unemployed, who are not eligible to receive subsidies other than lump-sum maternity payments, may become even greater in the future.

In Japan, where the birth rate is declining, free childbirth may become an inevitable necessity. However, we should be aware that it may not be possible to get the same service for free. Nonetheless, it seems that Japan should tackle this issue from multiple perspectives to promote safe and equitable childbirth for all.