Japan's population declines for 14th consecutive year

Japan's total population, including foreign residents, amounted to 123.802 million as of October 1, 2024, data from Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed Monday.

The data, down by 550,000 from the previous year, marked the 14th straight year of population decline.

Among Japan's 47 prefectures, 45 experienced population declines, with only Tokyo and Saitama showing increases.

The number of people aged 75 and over rose by 700,000 to 20.777 million, now accounting for around 17 percent of the total population.

When excluding foreign residents, the Japanese population stood at 120.296 million, a decrease of 898,000 from a year earlier, the largest drop ever recorded, the data showed.

Reflecting the population shrinkage, labor shortages are becoming more severe in the country. The working-age population (ages 15-64) dropped by 224,000 to 73.728 million, making up 59.6 percent of the total population, remaining below 60 percent since 2018.

In contrast, the number of foreign residents has surged. Their population grew by over 350,000 year-on-year to a record 3.506 million, the data showed.