Japan's Population Decreased by 640,000 Last Year... 11 Consecutive Years of Decline

Citizens of Tokyo, Japan, are walking along a street lined with bars and restaurants while wearing masks. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Japan's population experienced the largest decline on record last year.

On the 15th, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced that as of October 1st last year, the total population of Japan was 125.5 million, a decrease of 644,000 compared to the previous year.

Japan's population has been declining for 11 consecutive years since 2011.

As of October 1, 2010, Japan's population was 128.06 million, which decreased by 2.56 million (about 2%) over 11 years.

The annual number of deaths exceeded the number of births, resulting in a natural population decrease (births minus deaths) of minus 609,000 last year. The natural population decline has continued for 15 consecutive years since 2007. The reduction in foreign inflow due to entry restrictions amid the spread of COVID-19 also appears to have contributed to the population decrease.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.