“Japanese population drops by 900,000 — largest year-on-year decline; foreign residents increase by 350,000 to a record high of 3.67 million.”

Japan’s Population Declines by Record 900,000;Foreign Residents Surpass 3.5 Million for the First Time

On August 6,the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released population figures based on the Basic Resident Register. As of January 1,the number of Japanese nationals stood at 120,653,227—a decrease of 908,574 from the previous year. This marks the 16th consecutive annual decline,and the largest year-on-year drop since the survey began in 1968.

Since peaking in 2009,Japan’s population has shrunk by 6,422,956. The trend reflects the deepening impact of a declining birthrate and aging society,with the number of deaths far exceeding births. In 2024,Japan recorded 1,599,850 deaths—the highest ever—while births fell to a record low of 687,689.

Meanwhile,the number of foreign residents rose by 11% to 3,677,463,surpassing 3.5 million for the first time since data collection began in 2013. Although the foreign population declined in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,it began increasing again in 2023,when COVID-19 was reclassified under Japan’s Infectious Disease Control Law as a Category V illness. The net increase of 354,089 foreign residents was also the largest on record.

Japan’s Total Population Falls by Over 550,000 Despite Rise in Foreign Residents

As of January 1,Japan’s total population,including foreign residents,stood at 124,330,690. Although the number of foreign residents increased,it was not enough to offset the sharp decline in Japanese nationals. The net decrease from the previous year was 554,485 people—a drop equivalent to the entire population of Tottori Prefecture in just one year.

Foreign residents now account for 2.96% of Japan’s total population,up 0.3 percentage points from the previous year.

Population by Prefecture (As of January 1, 2025)

Source: Basic Resident Register, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Unit: 10,000 people | Change: Year-on-year (%)

Prefecture	Total Population	Change (%)	Japanese Population	Change (%)
Total	1243.3	–0.4	1206.5	–0.7
Hokkaido	504.0	–1.0	498.0	–1.2
Aomori	119.0	–1.6	118.0	–1.7
Iwate	115.0	–1.6	114.0	–1.7
Miyagi	222.0	–0.8	220.0	–0.9
Akita	91.0	–1.8	90.0	–1.9
Yamagata	101.0	–1.5	100.0	–1.6
Fukushima	177.0	–1.3	175.0	–1.4
Ibaraki	285.0	–0.6	275.0	–1.0
Tochigi	190.0	–0.7	185.0	–1.0
Gunma	191.0	–0.6	183.0	–1.1
Saitama	631.0	–0.1	608.0	–0.4
Chiba	631.0	–0.1	608.0	–0.4
Tokyo	1400.0	+0.7	1328.0	+0.1
Kanagawa	920.0	–0.1	892.0	–0.3
Niigata	211.0	–1.3	209.0	–1.4
Toyama	101.0	–1.0	98.0	–1.2
Ishikawa	110.0	–1.0	108.0	–1.2
Fukui	75.0	–0.8	73.0	–1.1
Yamanashi	80.0	–0.7	78.0	–1.0
Nagano	201.0	–0.8	197.0	–1.0
Gifu	195.0	–0.8	188.0	–1.1
Shizuoka	358.0	–0.9	346.0	–1.1
Aichi	748.0	–0.2	716.0	–0.5
Mie	174.0	–0.9	167.0	–1.2
Shiga	141.0	–0.4	136.0	–0.6
Kyoto	247.0	–0.6	239.0	–1.0
Osaka	877.0	–0.6	844.0	–0.8
Hyogo	539.0	–0.6	525.0	–0.8
Nara	130.0	–0.9	128.0	–1.0
Wakayama	90.0	–1.3	89.0	–1.5
Tottori	55.3	–1.0	54.2	–1.3
Shimane	65.2	–1.1	64.1	–1.3
Okayama	186.3	–0.7	182.2	–0.9
Hiroshima	276.5	–0.6	270.6	–0.8
Yamaguchi	130.2	–1.0	127.5	–1.2
Tokushima	71.2	–1.2	70.0	–1.4
Kagawa	93.1	–0.9	91.3	–1.1
Ehime	132.4	–1.0	130.0	–1.2
Kochi	67.3	–1.3	66.0	–1.5
Fukuoka	511.2	–0.2	496.0	–0.5
Saga	80.1	–0.9	78.6	–1.1
Nagasaki	127.3	–1.0	125.0	–1.2
Kumamoto	172.5	–0.7	169.0	–0.9
Oita	112.4	–0.8	110.0	–1.0
Miyazaki	106.2	–0.9	104.0	–1.1
Kagoshima	153.1	–1.0	150.0	–1.2
Okinawa	144.0	–0.3	139.0	–0.6

Regional Population Trends: Only Tokyo and Chiba See GrowthAmong Japan’s 47 prefectures, only Tokyo and Chiba experienced an increase in total population. The combined population of the Tokyo metropolitan area—Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba—rose by 0.2% year-on-year to 36,890,966. However, when looking at Japanese nationals alone, Tokyo was the only prefecture to show an increase.Foreign Residents Increase Across All PrefecturesFor the second consecutive year, the number of foreign residents grew in every prefecture. The largest increase was in Tokyo, which added 73,807 foreign residents, bringing its total to 721,223—the highest in the country. Foreign nationals now make up 5.15% of Tokyo’s total population.Other notable increases:

Osaka Prefecture: +31,549

Saitama Prefecture: +27,422

Working-Age Population: Foreign Residents Help Stabilize NumbersThe working-age population (ages 15–64) accounted for 59.8% of Japan’s total population, nearly unchanged from the previous year. While the number of Japanese nationals in this age group declined by 505,950, the increase of 321,823 foreign residents helped maintain the overall ratio.

Japanese working-age share: 59.0%

Foreign working-age share: 85.8%

This reflects the younger demographic of foreign residents, many of whom are students, technical interns, or skilled workers—playing a vital role in regions facing severe labor shortages.Rising Births Among Foreign ResidentsWith the rise in foreign population, the number of births among foreign residents also increased, reaching 22,738—the first time it has exceeded 20,000. Foreign nationals now account for 3.2% of all births in Japan, surpassing their share of the total population.

Source: Nikkei.com.(August 6,2025). Japanese population drops by 900,000. Retrieved Augst 7, 2025, from https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA2898V0Y5A720C2000000/

Japanese government will organize the environment to accept more and more international students. Besides, the chances of getting job after they graduate from universities will be increasing in the near future. Although it is the case that foreign people who don’t understand Japanese at all may feel difficulties in living in Japan at present, the environment would be gradually improved for English-speaking people in Japan.

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