Gov’t estimate shows record decline of Japanese nationals as of Oct.

Tokyo. (Mainichi)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The population of Japanese nationals stood at 120.3 million as of October 2024, down a record 898,000 from a year earlier, a government estimate showed Monday, amid the graying of society and a declining birthrate.

The total population in Japan, including foreign residents, also fell 550,000 to 123.8 million as of Oct. 1 last year, marking the 14th consecutive year of decline, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

The sharpest drop in Japanese nationals since comparable data became available in 1950 comes as the number of people aged at 14 and below dropped by 343,000 to 13.83 million, accounting for a record low of 11.2 percent of the total population. In contrast, the population of those aged 65 and over rose by 17,000 to 36.24 million, reaching a record high of 29.3 percent.

The working-age population, or people between 15 and 64, fell 224,000 to 73.73 million, accounting for 59.6 percent, the estimate showed.