Japan's population has suffered a record decline of 2.5 percent over a five-year period, according to census data released on Friday, underscoring the severe demographic challenges facing the nation's rapidly aging society despite government efforts to reverse the trend.
Record Population Drop
The census, conducted every five years, revealed that Japan's population fell to 123 million in 2025, a decrease of more than three million from the previous survey in 2020. This marks the third consecutive census showing a population decline and the steepest drop since records began in 1920. The government attributed the fall to an aging demography and a widening natural decrease, where deaths exceed births.
Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates, and in 2025, children accounted for just 10.8 percent of the total population, the lowest proportion on record. The World Bank ranks Japan as having the second-oldest population globally, behind only Monaco.
Regional Variations
The census data showed that only Tokyo and Okinawa prefectures recorded population growth, with Tokyo rising by 1.4 percent and Okinawa by 0.1 percent. The remaining 45 prefectures all experienced declines, highlighting the concentration of people in the capital.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara acknowledged the grim findings, stating, "It was confirmed again that the population decline is advancing even further." He pledged to "comprehensively promote various measures" to address the issue, including decentralizing people and businesses to regional areas to correct the overconcentration in Tokyo.
Immigration and Policy Responses
The number of foreign residents in Japan climbed to approximately 3.21 million, surpassing the previous high of 2.75 million in 2020. While immigration is often seen as a potential solution to population decline, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, elected last year, has adopted a tougher stance on foreign entry.
The government has identified the period through 2030 as a "final opportunity to reverse the trend," but measures such as expanding financial support for child-rearing households have so far failed to stem the decline. The census results reinforce the urgency of finding effective policies to address Japan's demographic crisis.
