TOKYO –
Japan’s Japanese-national inhabitants fell under 120 million because the nation recorded its largest annual decline since comparable knowledge started, in accordance with a survey launched Wednesday.
The inhabitants stood at 119,736,483 as of January 1, 2026, down 916,744 from a yr earlier, in accordance with a demographic survey launched by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The lower was the most important for the reason that survey started in 1968.
By prefecture, Tokyo recorded inhabitants development for a 3rd consecutive yr, whereas the inhabitants continued to say no within the different 46 prefectures.
Japan’s inhabitants expanded quickly within the years following World War II, rising from about 72 million in 1945 to greater than 84 million in 1950. The enhance was pushed partly by the return of Japanese residents from former abroad territories and by the primary postwar child growth from 1947 to 1949.
Growth continued throughout the a long time of fast financial improvement. The inhabitants reached about 94 million in 1960, surpassed 100 million in 1967 and climbed to almost 112 million by 1975. A second child growth from 1971 to 1974 contributed to the growth, whereas industrialization and concrete migration concentrated an rising share of the inhabitants in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and different main metropolitan areas.
The tempo of development started to gradual after the Seventies as households grew to become smaller, marriage was more and more delayed and the birthrate declined. Japan’s inhabitants rose from about 117 million in 1980 to greater than 123 million in 1990, however features grew to become progressively smaller. Between 2000 and 2005, the inhabitants elevated by solely 0.7%, in contrast with development of seven% between 1970 and 1975.
The working-age inhabitants reached its peak sooner than the nation’s complete inhabitants. The variety of individuals aged 15 to 64 climbed from about 50.17 million in 1950 to a excessive of 87.16 million in 1995 earlier than starting a sustained decline. This marked a elementary demographic shift as the big postwar generations aged and fewer younger individuals entered the workforce.
Japan’s complete inhabitants reached roughly 128 million round 2008 and entered a chronic interval of decline. By the 2010 census, the inhabitants stood at 128.06 million, however falling births and rising deaths more and more outweighed features from immigration. The decline has since accelerated as the primary postwar baby-boom technology strikes into superior age and the variety of ladies of childbearing age continues to shrink.
The newest figures present that the Japanese-national inhabitants fell under 120 million as of January 1, 2026. The decline displays a demographic reversal spanning a number of generations: the fast postwar growth that supported Japan’s financial rise has given technique to a shrinking and getting old society, with inhabitants losses now affecting each prefecture besides Tokyo.
Source: テレ東BIZ