• Nation sees largest demographic drop since 1968 as aging population grows and birth rates decline

• Tokyo bucks the trend with a slight population increase due to urban migration

ANKARA

Japan recorded its largest population decrease in history last year, with a significant drop of 861,000 residents, according to official data released on Wednesday.

This demographic shift, observed across various provinces, highlights the nation's ongoing challenges with an aging population and declining birth rates.

The population decreased from 122.42 million in 2022 to 121.56 million in 2023, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported, citing data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

This marks the 15th consecutive year of decline and the largest drop since the survey began in 1968.

However, the capital Tokyo experienced a slight population increase, rising by 0.03% due to a high influx of people into the city, according to the report.

The number of foreign nationals in Japan also increased, surpassing 3.29 million for the first time.

People aged 65 and older accounted for 29.38% of the Japanese population, an increase of 0.23%, while the working-age population, those between 15 and 64, declined slightly to 59.02%.

Last year, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for implementing “unprecedented” measures to address the issue.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid