Japan is already known for its aging population plus a low birth rate. The article mentions many of them were old, and of course older people have their friend

Japan is already known for its aging population plus a low birth rate. The article mentions many of them were old, and of course older people have their friends and family die off, and move around less frequently. The low birth rate means fewer connections to a younger generation. So for japan, and later the world, yeah - this might go up.