生活保護申請、４年連続増　２３年度、２５万件超に―厚労省

　２０２３年度の生活保護の申請件数が前年度比２．３％増の２５万１３６４件（速報値）となったことが５日、厚生労働省の調査で分かった。前年度を上回るのは４年連続。長引くコロナ禍や物価高騰が影響したとみている。
　厚労省が同日発表した今年３月の新規申請件数は、前年同月比１１．８％減の２万１６１０件（同）となり、２カ月連続で前年同月を下回った。（2024/06/05-11:24）

The number of applications for public welfare benefits in Japan rose 2.3 pct from the previous year to 251,364 in fiscal 2023, which ended in March, marking the fourth straight annual increase, according to preliminary survey results released by the welfare ministry survey on Wednesday.
   The ministry believes that the annual increase reflects the lingering impact of COVID-19 and rising prices.
   In March alone, the number of welfare applications fell 11.8 pct from a year earlier to 21,610, down for the second month in a row.
   The number of households on welfare inched up 0.2 pct to 1,650,379 in March. Of the total excluding those for which welfare was suspended, elderly households accounted for 55.5 pct, and "others" including the unemployed accounted for 15.8 pct.