Japan’s Population Records Historic Decline of 3.1 Million Amid Rapid Aging Crisis

TOKYO: Japan’s total population, including foreign residents, fell by a record 3.10 million, or 2.5 percent, between 2020 and last year, declining to 123,049,524, according to the latest national census released on Friday. The figures underscore the deepening demographic challenges facing the rapidly aging nation.

The census, conducted every five years since 1920, showed that Japan’s population has now declined for the third consecutive survey. It also revealed that 30.1 percent of the population is concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area as of October 1, marking the first time the capital region has crossed the 30 percent threshold.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications attributed the continuing decline to Japan’s aging society and a widening natural population decrease, where deaths consistently outnumber births.

Authorities warned that the trend is likely to persist, increasing pressure on the government to introduce stronger policies to sustain regional communities and support long-term economic stability.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating at a press briefing that it had been “confirmed again that the population decline is advancing even further.” He pledged to “comprehensively promote various measures” to address the issue, including efforts to correct the overconcentration of people and businesses in Tokyo through decentralization.

While Tokyo and Okinawa recorded modest population increases of 1.4 percent and 0.1 percent respectively, the remaining 45 prefectures—including major areas around the capital such as Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa—experienced declines.

The ministry also estimated that Japan’s foreign resident population reached approximately 3.21 million, surpassing the previous record of around 2.75 million recorded in the finalized 2020 census.

According to United Nations population estimates for 2025, Japan remains the world’s 12th most populous country, accounting for 1.5 percent of the global population. Among the top 20 most populous nations, Japan, China, Russia, and Thailand all recorded population declines between 2020 and 2025, with Japan experiencing the steepest drop.