[Jeon Youngsoo's Population Prism] Aging Societies Are Producing 'Gender-Neutral Customers'

Population change is a two-way phenomenon. Quantitative change is only half the story; the other crucial point is qualitative change. The accuracy of future diagnoses based on population change is proportional to the mastery of both quantitative trends (numbers) and qualitative shifts (underlying changes). For companies reacting sensitively to population trends, understanding this complex equation is essential. The progression from 'population → customers → needs → demand' is a continuous chain of change. Qualitative change is largely driven by external factors. Changes in customer psychology occur because the broader framework that governs their consumption environment has shifted. A prime example is economic cycles. The massive shift from 'high growth → low growth' now controls customer demand and consumption preferences.

Population decline amid low growth transforms consumption patterns. The New Normal of low growth has already begun. The direction of this New Normal is closely linked with industrial restructuring. Industries that thrived during high growth are fading, while those suited to low growth are rising. This is evident in the shift away from manufacturing and toward services. Most households now lack for nothing. The era of making money through durable goods has passed; except for replacement demand, people already own enough. The service sector is different. The emergence of a large number of demanding new customers across generations calls for delicate, emotional, and highly tailored differentiation. This is why advanced economies have completed industrial restructuring from 'exports → domestic demand' and 'manufacturing → services.'

Population Change Shakes Up 'Sexual Characteristics' on a Megaton Scale
Gender-Stereotyped Traits No Longer Work
'Gender-Neutral Customers' Emerge as New Consumption Drivers

The future society values a smile over muscle, and services over manufacturing. The shift away from manufacturing converges with the shift toward services. Manufacturing has traditionally been male-dominated. The high-growth era was characterized by 'smokestack industries.' The standard family model of the high-growth period-men as breadwinners, women as homemakers-meant that disposable income was earned solely through male labor. That era is over. Muscle-driven industries are being pushed aside, and single-income households are losing ground. Full participation in the workforce is now the norm. The result is the strengthening of female power, which is optimized for an era of shrinking growth. Manufacturing, which once relied on mass production powered by muscle, now struggles without exports. In contrast, service-related industries that require delicate, female-typical responses are on the rise. The market, demand, and industries have already shifted direction. The starting point is the weakening of male dominance; the destination is the empowerment of women.

The center of gravity in production and consumption was once held by masculinity. This was the basis for the male breadwinner family model. Even into the 1980s, male superiority was considered common sense. The market was also male-oriented. Even women who controlled household finances were mostly limited to minor, everyday purchases, while men made the final decisions on major expenditures. The turning point toward 'men with lower, women with higher' economic and purchasing power began in the 1990s. During the second phase of population quality improvement (1996-2003), policies focused on eliminating gender discrimination, which began to reduce gender disparities. Women saw improvements in higher education, equal employment, and social participation. Gender roles also began to change. While discriminatory practices like the glass ceiling and sole childcare responsibilities still exist, compared to the population bonus and high-growth periods, the transformation has been dramatic. Women's power continues to rise, and in some areas, the situation has even reversed.

In the future, the shift from 'male → female' perspectives will become natural. Gender discrimination must be abolished. Companies and markets would do well to pay attention to this change. The key is to segment by needs, not gender. The most prominent trend is the feminization of society. Women's power in employment and consumption means that decision-making and leadership increasingly rest with women. This is the completion of 'future society = women's society.' In a period of contraction, the coherence and resilience of matriarchal society become more pronounced. For individual households, 'future consumption = matriarchal will.' For men to adapt to changing times, embracing feminization is the trend. Conversely, many women are also becoming more masculine. This is a result of the increasing combativeness and influence of women for survival and growth. More women are now challenging fields and sectors that were once exclusively male.

Youngsoo Jeon, Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Hanyang University

In Aging Japan, Women Are Becoming More Masculine
Gender Gaps Narrow and Economic Power Rises
Matriarchal Consumption Grows, Even Reversing Industrial Structure

Population change is of megaton magnitude. It shakes the very instincts of sexual characteristics. Gender-stereotyped traits no longer work. Women are becoming more masculine, and men are becoming more feminine. The new consumer emerging in this context is the 'gender-neutral customer,' or even the 'anti-gender customer.' In terms of shared gender traits, this is the rise of the 'unishumer' (Universal + Consumer). The consumption landscape is changing. Women are increasingly purchasing traditionally male products, while men are embracing female-oriented goods and services. This is gender-neutral consumption, and its growth is inevitable. The export-dependent industrial structure, vulnerable to external factors, is also shifting from 'gendered consumption → gender-neutral consumption.'

Japan, a super-aged society with an aging rate of 28%, experiences changes in sexual characteristics as a matter of course. The image of the demure wife and mother devoted to her husband and family is fading. Except for some middle-aged and older women accustomed to traditional values, most women are no longer like this. The masculinization of women for survival and growth has been underway for some time. This is a new trend created by 30 years of low growth following the collapse of the economic bubble. Although gender discrimination was once as severe as in Korea, population decline has driven deeper reforms in consciousness and innovation in activity. The industrial structure has been reversed. Thanks to the service sector, the share of domestic demand has soared to 85% of GDP. A significant portion of this is due to the power of matriarchal consumption and the female economy. The feminization of both production and consumption is now in full swing.

There are supporting statistics as well. In 2009, for the first time ever, disposable income among men and women in their 20s was reversed (men: 215,515 yen; women: 218,156 yen, National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure, 2009). Although the gap reversed again with economic recovery, the gender gap has clearly narrowed. The increase in income is closely linked to population change. New service-oriented consumption needs, such as healthcare and nursing care, have increased the absorption of female employment. In many movies and dramas, the workplace is often a care facility, reflecting the establishment of healthcare and nursing care as key sectors. As economic power grows, the preference for marriage declines. When the income of male peers is lower or similar, the likelihood of women relying on them financially drops. Traditional femininity becomes unnecessary.

Young Men Lose Sexual Characteristics Amid Worsening Job Prospects
With Lower Economic Power, 'Feminization' Increases Survival Rate
Masters of 'Solo Play' Instead of Cars and Alcohol

The feminization of men is also noteworthy. Like the masculinization of women, this completes the gender-neutral market. In the midst of population change, the unique 'muscle competitiveness' of men has become a liability. Outgoing, proactive, and challenging male traits were suited to the era of high growth, but not anymore. Male expression requires money, and without economic power, it is useless. Dating, marriage, and childbirth all bow to financial realities. Instead, the more feminine men become, the higher their chances of survival. In reality, many young men have lost unnecessary sexual characteristics due to worsening job prospects. Fear of poverty leads them to give up on forming families. This has resulted in the emergence of a new type of single man who has not been assigned the traditional role of breadwinner. The lifetime unmarried rate for men is projected to rise from 10.9% in 2015 to 29.3% in 2035.

There is plenty of evidence for male withdrawal. Male-oriented products that embody male values are under pressure from the recession. When even supporting a family is difficult, consumption items favored by young men-cars, alcohol, travel-have entered a slump. These days, male college students show little interest in costly romantic relationships. Instead, they focus on living independently. In this context, abandoning traditional male traits is the rational choice. This 'forced consumption' is widely empathized with and spreading. Many have become masters of solitary, passive, introverted activities (hikikomori). They are moving away from traditional consumption. Instead, feminization and gender neutrality are emerging as viable alternatives. They feel firsthand that the path forward lies in the chain of 'recession → transformation of sexual characteristics → regression of instincts.'