TOKYO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A recent survey suggested the number of people aged 65 and older in Japan with no close relatives is expected to grow about 1.5 times in 2050 to make up over 10 percent of the elderly population, local media reported on Sunday.
Those aged 65 and over without kin up to the third degree, including great-grandchildren and great nieces or nephews, would total 4.48 million, about 11.5 percent of the overall elderly population, which is expected to hit 39 million in 2050, noted the survey conducted by the Japan Research Institute.
As fewer marry in the aging country, the estimates sparked concerns over who will act as their guarantors for hospitals and care homes and who will claim their bodies, Kyodo News reported.
Japan's Civil Code places the onus on relatives within the third degree to support their aging family members, the report said.
Elderly people with no close kin and who are certified as needing long-term care or support under public long-term care insurance are forecast to rise from 340,000 to 590,000 in 2050, according to the estimates based on data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.■