Tokyo, Aug 7 (IANS) Japan’s native population declined by about 908,000 in 2024, the steepest drop since records began in 1968, the latest official data has revealed.
According to a demographics survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of Japanese nationals stood at 120,653,227 as of January 1, 2025. The population has now been falling for 16 consecutive years.
The overall population, including foreign residents, was 124,330,690 — down by about 554,000 from the previous year.
While the native population continues to shrink, the number of foreign residents rose to a record 3,677,463. This marks an increase of 354,089 people, or 10.65 per cent, from the previous year. Foreign nationals have been counted in the survey since 2013, reported Japan’s leading Kyodo news agency.
Hokkaido recorded the highest growth in foreign residents at 19.57 per cent. Around 85.77 per cent of foreign nationals are of working age, filling labour gaps caused by the country’s ageing and declining population.
The surge in foreign residents has triggered political responses. Amid concerns over rising living costs and allegations of system misuse by some migrants, political groups such as the Sanseito party which promotes a “Japanese First” policy has reportedly gained support in the July House of Councillors election.
According to local media outlets, Japan recorded only 687,689 births in 2024, the lowest ever, while deaths reached a record 1.59 million.
The sharpest native population declines were seen in Akita (1.91 per cent), Aomori (1.72 per cent), and Kochi (1.71 per cent) prefectures. The national average drop was 0.75 per cent.
Tokyo was the only prefecture to register a rise in native population, up 0.13 per cent, driven by internal migration. When including foreign nationals, only Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture saw overall population growth.
Citizens aged 65 and above now make up 29.58 per cent of the Japanese population. Those aged 15 to 64 account for 59.04 per cent, both slightly higher than last year.
–IANS
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