Japan’s population falls while the number of foreign residents rises to a record

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Japan’s population decrease while the number of foreign residents rises to a record.
According to foreign media reports, the number of Japanese residents has declined at the fastest rate ever, while the number of foreign residents has increased by nearly 3 million.

Figures released by the government show that Japan’s population is aging across the country and that foreign nationals are playing an ever-larger role in making up for the shrinking population.



According to resident registration data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as of January 1, 2023, the number of Japanese citizens fell for the 14th year, a decrease of about 800,000 people to 122.42 million.
The figures show that, for the first time, the number of Japanese residents has declined in all 47 prefectures.

According to media reports, the number of foreign nationals living in Japan was a record 2.99 million, a 10.7 percent increase from the previous year, since the ministry began tracking the data a decade ago.

As of January 1, 2020, just before the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 2.87 million foreigners living in Japan.
The new figures show that Japan’s total population fell to 125.42 million, a decrease of about 511,000.

The population has declined every year since a peak in 2008 due to low birth rates, reaching a record low last year.

According to a top government spokesperson, the government aims to address the issue in various ways, including employing more women.

“To secure a stable workforce, the government will promote labor market reforms to provide more employment for women, the elderly and others,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said in a statement.