Japan’s Population Drops by Record 898,000 in One Year

Photo: WAM

Japan’s population continues to shrink. As of October 2024, the number of Japanese citizens was about 120.3 million, which is 898,000 fewer people than the year before. This is the biggest drop ever since the government started keeping records in 1950.

The total population of Japan, including foreigners living in the country, also went down. It was 123.8 million, which is a drop of 550,000 people from the year before. This is now the 14th year in a row that Japan's population has decreased, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

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One major reason for this drop is that fewer babies are being born, and the number of elderly people is increasing.

The number of children aged 14 or younger went down by 343,000, leaving just 13.83 million children in that age group. Children now make up only 11.2% of the population — the lowest percentage ever recorded.

At the same time, the number of elderly people aged 65 and above increased by 17,000, reaching a total of 36.24 million. This group now makes up 29.3% of the population, which is the highest it has ever been.

The number of people in the working age group (15 to 64 years old) also fell. It dropped by 224,000, leaving 73.73 million people in this category. They now make up 59.6% of the total population.

This data shows that Japan is facing serious problems with an aging population and fewer young people, which may affect the country's future workforce and economy.