JAPAN’S POPULATION FALLS BELOW 120 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME IN DECADES

Wed 29 July 2026:

Japan’s population of Japanese nationals has dropped below 120 million for the first time in more than 40 years, highlighting the country’s deepening demographic crisis despite government efforts to encourage higher birth rates.

According to data released Wednesday by Japan’s Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the number of Japanese citizens stood at 119.7 million as of January 1, a decline of 917,000 from the previous year—the steepest annual decrease since comparable records began in 1968.

The figures underscore Japan’s long-standing challenges of a rapidly aging population and one of the world’s lowest birth rates. During the past year, the country recorded only about 670,000 births, the lowest number on record, while deaths reached approximately 1.59 million, widening the gap between births and deaths and accelerating the natural population decline.

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Japan’s overall population, which includes foreign residents, also fell to around 123.8 million, down by roughly 563,000 from a year earlier.

At the same time, the number of foreign residents climbed to a record 4.03 million, an increase of 354,000 since the government began tracking the data in 2013. The rise reflects Japan’s gradual expansion of policies allowing more foreign workers into the country to help ease persistent labor shortages, with working-age adults making up more than 86% of the foreign population.

Regionally, Tokyo was the only one of Japan’s 47 prefectures to record an increase in its Japanese population. Meanwhile, Hokkaido saw the fastest growth in foreign residents, followed by Okinawa and Oita. Overall population growth, including foreign residents, was recorded only in Tokyo, Chiba and Osaka.

Japan has struggled for years to reverse its population decline through measures such as childcare subsidies, expanded parental leave and financial incentives for families. However, rising living costs, changing social attitudes toward marriage and parenthood, and an aging society continue to weigh on birth rates, raising concerns over the country’s future workforce, economic growth and the sustainability of its social welfare system.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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