Japan sees record drop in population in 2024

Tokyo The population of Japan shrank by 0.75% in 2024, marking a record high since records began in 1968, according to official data. The decline amounted to 908,574 people, the largest population drop since records began in 1968.

This is the 16th straight year in which the Japanese population has shrunk, reducing it to 120.65 million people down from a peak of 126.6 million in 2009, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry.

Japanese nationals aged 65 or over made up 30% of the country’s population, while 60% of Japanese nationals were between 15 and 64.

Although many more economically developed countries have aging populations, Japan has the second-oldest, after the tiny state of Monaco, according to the World Bank.

Japan also saw births fall below 700,000 for the first time on record, according to Health Ministry data released back in June. Some 686,061 newborns were recorded in 2024, the lowest number since records began in 1899.