Archive · 29 Jul 2026
Japan's population falls below 120 million for first time in 42 years
Japan's population of Japanese nationals has dropped below 120 million for the first time in 42 years.
This means there are fewer people living in Japan now than there were a long time ago.
The number of children in Japan is also at a record low.
The government has been trying to help by giving more money to families with children, but the population is still going down.
The only places where the population is growing are Tokyo, Chiba, and Osaka.
There are more foreign residents in Japan than ever before, but this isn't enough to make up for the overall population decline.
Japan's population of Japanese nationals fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years.
The decline was 917,000 people compared to the previous year, the largest drop since 1968.
Tokyo was the only prefecture to record an increase in the number of Japanese nationals.
The number of foreign residents increased by 354,000 to a record 4,031,159.
Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 123,767,642, down by approximately 563,000 from the previous year.
- Who
- Japanese nationals and foreign residents in Japan
- What
- The population of Japanese nationals fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years.
- When
- As of January 1, 2023
- Where
- Japan
- Why
- Due to a declining birthrate and an aging population.
Government Measures
Demographic Challenges
Government Support
Government Measures
The Japanese government has implemented measures such as increasing financial support for families raising children to address the declining birthrate.
Demographic Challenges
Despite these efforts, the population continues to decline, indicating that current measures may not be sufficient to reverse the trend.
- Total Population of Japanese Nationals
- 119,736,483
- Decline from Previous Year
- 917,000
- Population Increase in Tokyo
- 0.09%
- Number of Foreign Residents
- 4,031,159
- Total Population Including Foreign Residents
- 123,767,642
- Child Population
- 13.29 million
- Ratio of Children Aged Below 15
- 10.8%