Japan’s population crisis deepens with record birth low, rising deaths
text_fields
Tokyo: Japan’s native population declined by approximately 908,000 in 2024, marking the steepest drop since records began in 1968, according to official data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. This marks the 16th consecutive year of decline.
As of January 1, 2025, the number of Japanese nationals stood at 120,653,227. The overall population, including foreign residents, totalled 124,330,690, a decrease of about 554,000 from the previous year.
While the native population continues to shrink, the number of foreign residents rose to a record high of 3,677,463, an increase of 354,089 people or 10.65 per cent compared to the previous year. Foreign nationals have been included in the annual demographics survey since 2013, reported Japan’s Kyodo news agency.
Hokkaido recorded the highest growth in foreign residents at 19.57 per cent. Notably, around 85.77 per cent of foreign nationals fall within the working-age group, helping to fill labour shortages caused by Japan’s ageing and declining population.
This surge in foreign residents has prompted political reactions. Amid concerns over rising living costs and allegations of welfare misuse by some migrants, political groups such as the Sanseito party, which advocates a “Japanese First” policy, reportedly gained support in the July House of Councillors election.
According to local media, Japan recorded only 687,689 births in 2024, the lowest figure on record, while deaths reached an all-time high of 1.59 million.
The sharpest declines in native population were observed in Akita (1.91 per cent), Aomori (1.72 per cent), and Kochi (1.71 per cent) prefectures. The national average decline was 0.75 per cent.
Tokyo was the only prefecture to register a rise in native population, with a modest 0.13 per cent increase driven by internal migration. When foreign nationals are included, only Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture saw overall population growth.
Currently, citizens aged 65 and older make up 29.58 per cent of the total population, while those aged 15 to 64 account for 59.04 per cent, both slightly higher than the previous year.
With IANS inputs
