Tokyo, Aug 7
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.
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.
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.