Japanese population down record 900,000; 16th straight year of decline

TOKYO, Aug 6 (KYODO): The population of Japanese nationals in 2024 fell by around 908,000 from a year earlier to 120,653,227, declining for the 16th straight year and the largest drop since the current survey began in 1968, government data showed Wednesday.

The latest figures come as policymakers continue to struggle to reverse falling birthrates and regional depopulation, and while anxiety over record foreign resident numbers spurs some voters to turn to opposition parties touting slogans such as "Japanese First."

As of Jan. 1, 2025, the population, including foreign residents, was 124,330,690, a decrease of about 554,000, a demographics survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed.

While Japanese numbers fell, foreign resident totals continue to rise, reaching a record 3,677,463 people since their inclusion from the 2013 survey. Their number was up 354,089, or 10.65 per cent.

By prefecture, the northernmost main island, Hokkaido, saw the largest rise in foreign residents at 19.57 per cent.

Some 85.77 per cent of foreign residents are of working age, with many filling labour shortages left by the declining native population.

But amid rising living costs and concerns that some foreign residents abuse the system, parties pledging to limit their intake, such as the Sanseito party, gained greater support in July's House of Councillors election.

Among Japanese people, births in 2024 were a record low of 687,689 and eclipsed by the 1.59 million deaths logged, another record high.

Akita and Aomori prefectures in northeastern Japan saw the greatest native population decreases at 1.91 per cent and 1.72 per cent, respectively, followed by western Japan's Kochi Prefecture at 1.71 per cent. The total national decline was 0.75 per cent.

Tokyo was the only area to see a rise in the native Japanese population, up 0.13 per cent due to a high influx of people to the capital. When including foreign residents, the overall population rose only in Tokyo and neighbouring Chiba Prefecture.

By age, people aged 65 and over accounted for 29.58 per cent of the Japanese population, while those aged from 15 to 64 made up about 59.04 per cent, both minor increases from the previous year.