Decline in Japan’s Population for 13 Consecutive Years
Japan’s Population Declines for the 13th Consecutive Year
According to recent data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan’s population has been steadily declining for the past 13 years. As of October 2023, the total population of Japan has decreased to 124 million 352 thousand.
Excluding foreigners living in the country, the Japanese population has decreased by 837 thousand compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 121 million 193 thousand. This decline marks the largest decrease in population since 1950.
The demographics of Japan are also shifting, with the population over the age of 65 increasing to 36 million 227 thousand and the population over the age of 75 reaching 20.08 million. However, the population between the ages of 0-14 has decreased to 14 million 173 thousand.
In terms of the population breakdown, the segment over the age of 65 now accounts for 29.1 percent, the segment over the age of 75 makes up 16.1 percent, and the segment between the ages of 0-14 accounts for 11.4 percent. The working-age population aged 15-64 has decreased to 73 million 952 thousand.
While Tokyo is the only administrative region in Japan where the population has increased by 0.34 percent, other regions such as Aomori, Iwate, and Yamagata prefectures in the northeastern “Tohoku” region have experienced the highest population losses.
On a positive note, the foreign population residing in Japan has seen an increase, rising by 243 thousand to 3.16 million. This growing diversity in the population may have implications for the country’s future demographic trends.
