Record Decrease in Japan’s Population in 2024
Japan’s population continued its downward trend in 2024, recording the largest annual decrease since the start of statistics, amid declining birth rates and accelerating demographic aging.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in a demographic survey published on Tuesday, reported that Japan’s total population reached 124.33 million as of January 1, 2025, a decrease of 0.44% compared to the previous year.
The number of Japanese citizens dropped by 908,574 individuals, or 0.75% on a yearly basis, marking the sixteenth consecutive year of decline. The only increase was observed in the capital, Tokyo (+0.13%), while all other 46 prefectures experienced a decrease, particularly in northern Tohoku, where the decline exceeded 1.7%.
Japan recorded only 687,689 births last year, the lowest level ever for the ninth consecutive year, leading to a natural population deficit (the difference between births and deaths) exceeding 912,000 individuals.
In contrast, the number of foreign residents increased by 10.7%, reaching 3.67 million, the highest level since data collection began in 2013, attributed to the easing of entry restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Greater Tokyo Area and the surrounding urban regions of Osaka and Nagoya remain the most densely populated, housing over half of the country’s residents, while Tottori Prefecture stands as the least populated, with only 534,000 residents.
