Japan’s population falls 2.5 percent in 2025 from 2020
Baku, September 30, AZERTAC
Japan’s total population, including foreign residents, stood at 122,972,528 as of October 1, 2025, down by 3,173,571, or 2.5 percent, from five years earlier, Jiji Press reported.
This marked the third consecutive decline in the quinquennial census, which dates back to 1920.
The number of Japanese nationals fell by 3.5 percent to 119,131,935, following a 1.4 percent decline in the previous 2020 census, while the number of foreign residents climbed by 39.8 percent to a record high of 3,840,039.
Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of foreign residents, at 24 percent, followed by Vietnamese nationals at 15.9 percent, and South and North Koreans at 10.4 percent. In the previous census, South and North Koreans accounted for 15.8 percent, exceeding the 13.9 percent share of Vietnamese residents.
The total population comprised 59,772,092 men and 63,200,436 women. The proportion of people aged 65 and older rose from 28.5 percent to 29.4 percent.
Among Japan’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo was the only one to record population growth. The increase in Tokyo was smaller than in the previous census, while Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Shiga, Fukuoka, and Okinawa shifted from population growth to decline. The remaining 39 prefectures recorded larger population declines.
The total number of households stood at 57,324,619. Each household had an average of 2.1 members, down from 2.21. Yamagata had the highest average number of household members, at 2.41, while Tokyo had the lowest, at 1.85.
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