The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- Japan's population of Japanese nationals has fallen below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, standing at 119.74 million as of January 1, according to government data.
- This marks the 17th consecutive year of decline, driven by a record-low fertility rate of 1.14 and just over 670,000 births, the lowest since records began in 1899.
- Experts attribute the trend to late or avoided marriage, high living costs, job insecurity, long working hours and unequal childcare burdens, which financial incentives and policies have not reversed.
- A record number of foreign residents has pushed the total population to 123.8 million but has not offset the decline among Japanese nationals.
What to watch next
- Whether next year's birth and fertility figures continue their decade-long decline
- Effectiveness of newer measures like Tokyo's AI dating app and the Children and Families Agency
- Whether the government expands support for foreign residents to offset population loss
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1 report
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Named Japan · Children and Families Agency · Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · OECD · TOKYO Enmusubi · Tokyo metropolitan government · World Bank
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